Civil War "Housewife" /SOLD

Civil War "Housewife" - Inventory Number: CAM 544 / SOLD

Civil War soldiers did not have many extra items of clothing, so the clothing they wore took a lot of wear and tear.  Soldiers were often sent off to war with “housewives” or small sewing kits made by their wives, mothers, or girlfriends.  These were usually made from scraps of fabric or sometimes leather, and could be folded or rolled to pocket-size, and then fastened with ribbon, yarn, or a button.  They contained essential sewing supplies such as needles, pins, thread, buttons, a small pair of scissors, extra scraps of fabric, and possibly a thimble.  When a soldier needed to sew on a button or mend a tear, all the necessary supplies would be at hand.

This example is constructed of leather with a gold tooled finish.  Retailers’ information of S.D.G.D. of Paris is embossed on the thimble partition.  The original silver thimble is present and engraved with the original owner’s initials “C.H.M”.  The wallet like body is lined in red Moroccan leather with partitions for sewing implements and still houses several original needles.

Inventory Number: CAM 544 / SOLD