Spanish Civil War jackets 1937-38

[Charlie]

 

[Charlie]

 

[Charlie]

 

[Charlie]

Bye !

 

[Falcon_52]

More excellent photos! Those are some awesome jackets! Thanks for posting those, Charlie.

Noel

 

[Peter Graham]

Fantastic looking bike in the third from last pic. Bobber fans eat your heart out ! Interesting jacket on the right. Looks like a B-10 with the pockets moved up.

 

[zoomer]

Leather breeches too on the gang with the BSA. Hey, if I had a cycle I'd wear 'em too.

Let's thank New York University and the Robert F. Wagner Labor Archive for this incredible resource.
And of course thank Harry Randall, chief of the photo unit of the 15th Int'l Bde - who at last report is still with us age 93.

Sgt. Harry Randall, May 1938

 

[bob capa]

Really great photos!

The Lincoln brigade is a particular interest of mine.

 

[plaidlining]

You're probably right about the American origins. Most of the pictures you see here are of American volunteers (altho not "mostly" from NYC as I wrote earlier, that was the largest single group.)

most of the Lincoln Brigaders' jackets look like American jackets to me - the main clue is the knitted waist and cuffs. In Europe (especially the UK, but also France and Spain) leather jackets of similar design (patch flapped pockets etc) were very common, but usually with button or snap cuffs and either a leather or woven (not knitted) fabric waistband.

Jackets of this general "Euro A2" pattern (and also ones closely approximating to the "Luftwaffe" style) are very common in photos of Spanish Republicans, also French Resistance a few years later. They were never military jackets as such but civilian utility jackets, very popular as everyday wear among young working class males, also worn for motorcycling, flying, rambling, golf, and similar outdoor sports. I have a small collection of British examples made from about 1930-55.

Coincidentally, there has been some recent disussion of this on the FL too.....

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthre ... 69&page=12

 

[John Lever]

Please could you post some photos of your collection ?

 

[plaidlining]

yikes! I loathe and hate digital photography with a vengeance! Partly because my camera is crap, partly because I have to do a lot of it as part of my vintage business, and partly because life's too short. But I'll have a look through my photo files and see what there is already......

 

[bob capa]

I may have missed it but are these from a book or private collection?

thanks

Sam