For Memorial Day, I thought I would offer you this recruiting poster from the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. The Navy League of the United States was founded in 1902 at the behest of Theodore Roosevelt who was particularly interested in the Navy. It was an organization of civilians who back then were concerned about invasion, and now devote themselves more to the well-being of all the “sea services” and their personnel and families as well as offering youth programs.
This poster was created in 1916 by Hazel Roberts, so after the First World War had started in Europe and before the United States entered it in 1917. She is using a megaphone, a very early way of making yourself heard at a distance, as well as holding a flag. Although the organization was made up of civilians, she is wearing khaki, the color of many WWI service uniforms. Of course, all kinds of women’s auxiliary forces and volunteer organizations wore uniforms of various kinds during both world wars. She has on gauntlet gloves, and a practical hat with a blue campaign cord on it as well as another cord at her neck. Such cords usually denoted organization and possibly rank. Blue seems a good choice for a navy organization.
The belted jacket she has on was one of the tailored looks that was popular in the 1910s. It was an easy silhouette to wear, belted to acknowledge a woman’s shape, but not particularly tight although corsets were still considered essential to normal dress. She would have worn such a jacket with a longer skirt, well off the floor, but only above the ankle, usually pleated to allow for easy movement. Like I said, an easy silhouette and one I have been thinking I should try making from vintage patterns if only to see if it is as comfortable as it looks.
To find more at the Library of Congress, go here: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/
To learn about the Navy League, go here: https://www.navyleague.org/
