Buttoned Pocket Flaps A-2 Jackets

[Ken at Aero Leather]

Zoomer
In 1920, Mary Pickford and Fairbanks were married. They separated in 1933, which coincided with Pickford retiring from the movies. Pickford and Fairbanks were divorced in January 1936.

Not that that means he's in the picture

 

[Roughwear]

She would have been 50 in 1932, how old does she look in the pic?
My wife who is uncaningly good at guessing folks ages from (pre botox) pics says she looks in her late 40s

No, she would have been 40 as she was born in 1892.

 

[SuinBruin]

I'm pretty sure this photo has been shared with the forum before but I haven't seen it in this thread. I haven't been able to find a larger version or more info on the subjects. The jacket on the right looks an awful lot to my eye like the one Gen. Westover is wearing.

 

[Roughwear]

The jacket on the left is a SAT and yes the jacket on the right looks like a Werber and notice the square bottoms of the pocket, a feature not seen on the 33-1729 which had more rounded pocket corners. So could this be a Werber 32-6225?

 

[SuinBruin]

That was my suspicion as well, Andrew. The squared pocket bottoms are very distinctive and the pocket flaps look to be similarly curved as well. And given the presence of an A-1 and SAT in the same photo this has to be an early jacket.

 

[Roughwear]

It would be helpful to the date of the photo. The jacket on the right reminds me of an early Aero, such as the 37-3061-P, with the square pocket bottoms. However as Westover's has similar pockets it is surely a Werber 32-6225.

 

[zoomer]

Notice that Mary was given her own set of flight wings. Smooth move on the pilots part

Hap had presented Mary with those wings during a ceremony in Hollywood in 1919, memorializing airmen lost in WW1.

 

[zoomer]

It would be helpful to the date of the photo. The jacket on the right reminds me of an early Aero, such as the 37-3061-P, with the square pocket bottoms. However as Westover's has similar pockets it is surely a Werber 32-6225.

I concur. I noticed right away that that pilot - a 1Lt. with the rather piquant name of Ralph Snavely - had some variant of Werber jacket. But until now his square corners, and BG Westover's, had escaped my attention!

(About Aero, remember it began in 1937 under Max Werber's former partner, Lou Kramer, and several ex-Werber employees.)

This was one of a series of pix shared by VLJ'er Weasel_Loader in this thread in 2009. (The pix no longer display as the hosting account is now closed.) They were taken at Muroc bombing range and March Field between 1933-'35, but no dates were given otherwise.

Muroc is now of course Edwards AFB. The pix came from the base history office.

 

[SuinBruin]

Looks like these guys were in the 31st Bombardment Squadron. Gotta be some more information on them out there somewhere.

Another photo from the same shoot (alas, far too small to make out any detail)?

 

[zoomer]

Another view of Spatz with his prototype jacket, the "A-Tooey" if you will, under a flight suit. This needs to be found in a bigger size and ideally, dated.

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

No, she would have been 40 as she was born in 1892.

Ooops, I misread her date of birth..............should have gone to specsavers :>(

 

[Roughwear]

I do wonder as there were 600 jacket produced under the Werber 32-6225 order whether one survives somewhere. After all there are several SATs around from an order which was less than 3 times the size of this one.

 

[Roughwear]

The jackets in this iconic 1934 photo appear to be newly issued 33-1729 Werbers, with two exceptions, the chap fourth from the left in the back row is wearing a Security button pocket A-2 as is the guy on the far right back row.

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

The jackets in this iconic 1934 photo appear to be newly issued 33-1729 Werbers, with two exceptions, the chap fourth from the left in the back row is wearing a Security button pocket A-2 as is the guy on the far right back row.

View attachment 7089

The way these are hanging (or not) suggests the knit has been fitted a tad too tightly, maybe allowing for the inevitable stretching?

 

[Roughwear]

Yes, indeed Ken. Although it is a B&W picture the knits on the Werbers is the lighter shade used on the 33-1729 jackets.

 

[33-1729]

The jackets in this iconic 1934 photo appear to be newly issued 33-1729 Werbers, with two exceptions, the chap fourth from the left in the back row is wearing a Security button pocket A-2 as is the guy on the far right back row.

View attachment 7089

These pictures are just amazing. And another Goldsmith find with great detail! I need to check this site more often.

Looking at the picture above, the two buttoned flap pockets look a bit different to me. Do my eyes deceive me?

 

[Persimmon]

Ooops, I misread her date of birth..............should have gone to specsavers :>(

My wife who is uncaningly good at guessing folks ages from (pre botox) pics says she looks in her late 40s

Thank goodness she is dead. Otherwise your wife would be facing grief from a very unhappy lady. “ how old do you think I am “ !!!!

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

First Sample is finished but is not the finished article, our samples rarely are, our moto is to go for it, it's easier to correct things on the second sample than spend weeks prevaricating over the tiniest detail before a stitch has been made.
Generally happy with the first attempt but....

Christine starts her holidays today and wanted to finish it off before she went, the fur hooks for the neck haven't arrived from The US of A so she fitted standard A-2 hooks in black (fitted 1938 Aero Style)
I don't think the collarstand looks quite deep enough but I only got a few pics before the factory shut for the weekend.
There's a boob on the X stitch on one epaulette, my error, I need to work slower on new designs :>(
I'm not sure if the pockets look a tad big, or just the pocket flaps, or both, but we are talking fractions.

This sample has a Hookless zipper and will be sold off cheap once we've made the next and final sample.

 

[Earloffunk]

Nice, but I think the pocket flaps are too big / long.

Bon weekend!

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

Nice, but I think the pocket flaps are too big / long.

Bon weekend!

That's my feeling too