Contributed by Maine Historical Society
Description
Popularized in the 1940s by the Boy Scouts of America, the outdoor shirt jac (also called a jac shirt or shirt jacket) finds its origins in the Caribbean and Latin America. Originally a lightweight, four pocket shirt jacket worn at social occasions, the functional design easily translated to utilitarian fashions.
Made by Congress Sportswear, this coat was part of their "Maine Guide" series, a popular mid-20th century clothing line based on styles worn while exploring the Maine woods. Congress Sportswear opened in Boston in 1863, later adding a factory in Bath, Maine which specialized in the Maine Guide offerings. The coat is associated with Lawson W. Sheafe (1917-2003) originally from Milbridge, Maine. An avid outdoorsman, Sheafe retired to Queensland, Australia after a career in the United States military. He worked in sporting goods stores in the Australian Outback, where he and his Australian-born wife Daphne lived with their two children.
About This Item
- Title: Maine Guide shirt jac by Congress Sportswear, ca. 1960
- Creation Date: circa 1960
- Subject Date: circa 1960
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Locations:
- ME
- Queensland, Australia
- Media: wool, plastic
- Local Code: 2005.397
- Collection: Costume collection
- Object Type: Physical Object
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For more information about this item, contact:
Maine Historical Society485 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101
(207) 774-1822 x230
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