Description:
Man's long linen duster that belonged to Henry Adelbert Frost (b.1867) of Dorchester, Massachusetts. According to museum accession records, Frost was an early adopter of the automobile; he may have worn this coat while driving. Dusters were long outer coverings so named to protect the clothing worn underneath from dirt and dust kicked up by modes of transportation that were not enclosed, such as early automobiles. The absence of trimming, undyed linen, machine sewing, and five pockets (three exterior, two interior) reinforce the modern and utilitarian aspects of this garment.

Label Text:
New modes of transportation required new modes of clothing. This man's duster or driving coat, worn by Henry Adelbert Frost (b.1867) of Dorchester, Massachusetts, reflected the modernity of the automobile. Its machine-sewn construction accomodates three exterior and two interior pockets. Large buttons allowed for ease in fastening the garment for a day out on the roads, many of which would have been dirt rather than asphalt.

Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+97.58.1

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