Item Description
Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is an extremely scarce WWI Nurse’s cape worn by a nurse working at John Hopkins during the war. World War I (1914-1918) had a deep impact on Johns Hopkins University and its surrounding community. Students and faculty enlisted as soldiers, intelligence officers, and medical personnel. The university’s female patrons, faculty, and students traveled abroad to participate in nursing and war relief. Before, during, and after America’s entry into the conflict, World War I challenged Hopkins intellectuals’ ideas about the international world order, the problem of war, and the role of the university and hospital in wartime.
The nurse’s cape is secured onto the wearer by two straps that connect to four buttons on the front, each button bearing a stylized J. Affixed to the collar are two extremely scarce JH collar discs for John Hopkins. These discs have two small loops on the back, meant to be stitched to the collar rather than pinned like normal Army collar insignia. These discs are extremely scarce in their own right, and there is very little reference to their existence, making this a really phenomenal example.
The primary issue with the cape is the heavy mothing on the back of the interior collar, which originally had the nurse’s name beautifully embroidered on it, with only a few letters left now due to the moth damage. There is a maker’s label in the cape for D. Klein & Bro. Tailors in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The interior of the cape is lined with red fabric and displays gorgeously.
This is absolutely one of the scarcest WWI nurse items we have ever offered. The Johns Hopkins collar discs are considered some of the scarcest collar discs ever produced, and they are impossible to find off of a uniform piece like this. This example has two, making it a real treasure.
We likely won’t ever see another one. Comes ready for further research and display.
Approximate Measurements:-
Front length: 36"
- This product is available for international shipping.
- Eligible for all payments - Visa, Mastercard, Discover, AMEX, Paypal & Sezzle
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