WHI
War Heritage Institute
Cinquantenaire Park 3
1000 Brussels
+32(0)2/737.78.11
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This museum was a place that we often visited in 2021 as the Objet Témoin website attests. Having therefore seen many historical costumes during our visits, it was decided to check if these costumes had potential to be integrated into our research.
From the beginning, I was aware that several points did not coincide with our research; indeed :
- our project does not take into account the military aspect
- our search area extends further than Europe (this is not the most disturbing point)
- only a small part of the museum is dedicated to the 19th century (numbered 2 on the map below)
So why go anyway? Curiosity!
Shoulder line
the sleeves are "droopy".
Wristbands
note the "puffy" side at the wrist
Folds
They are present on the front and on the sleeves and guarantee ease of movement, as more fabric is used for this effect.
Button placket
This one has only a few buttons, allowing easy threading through the head. Indeed, buttons were expensive, and there were not many fastening systems other than eyelets where a small rope or hooks were passed (generally favoured for heavier and more expensive pieces)
Length
Quite long, this type of garment was usually tucked into the outer trousers (when the shirt was an undergarment) or fitted with a belt when the wearer could afford one.
Shoulder line
On our current garments, the shoulder seam generally stops at the shoulder (except for the so-called "oversize" style)
Wristbands
Nowadays, the cuff is rather curved with very few folds. Moreover, the "puffy" style is very rarely found in men's fashion.
Folds
They have disappeared and the only one that still exists is the easement fold in the back, allowing the arms to be crossed without tearing the garment.
Button placket
It can be seen that the entire front is buttoned, allowing the garment to be fully opened
Lenght
Nowadays, these clothes are shorter, and the practice of leaving it out is quite common: everyone adopts the desired style
The style represented by the painting above, and to which the combat uniforms of the Belgian Civil Guard and the uniform of the Luxembourg Volunteer correspond, refers to a style very present in the 19th century.
And much earlier! Below, two examples of this type of shirt, but rather in their original use: as underwear
Unfortunately, if these two outfits are of interest to us because they are made from indigo-dyed cotton canvas, the collection focuses more on outfits made from wool (especially woollen cloth) for obvious reasons: better protection against the cold, better insulation against rain or simply humidity, and good resistance to various military missions.
Conclusion
Let's take a closer look at the different blue outfits on the site
This widespread use of blue puzzled me: was indigo so easy to obtain that the army used so much of it in its production of military clothing?
During my visit, I had the chance to get in touch with an eminent specialist of the textile trade in the 19th century, notably for the Belgian army, Mr Pierre LERNIEUX, who explains :
"...], the problem lies in the sources, which are rare in this field: we do not have any contracts in the Defence archives in this field. The contract books concern above all woollen cloths".
Followed by a small positive note that gives us some hope:
"In the 19th century, Belgium was the "workshop of Europe" and supplied a great deal of cloth and indigo fabric."
While our research on these two businesses is progressing slowly, the visit to the museum reinforces our belief that this is an important part of the story that should also be highlighted: this knowledge is an asset to better understand the context of the time. We hope to answer questions such as :
Where does the indigo plant grow? Who processes it into dye? Who sells it? To whom?
We look forward to hearing from you, if you have any information on this subject, please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss it. We would be delighted to hear from you!