Cover Page

Preface

Introduction

Ironing Out the Wrinkles

Photofile

Bibliography

Notes

Appendix A

National Park Service Uniforms Ironing Out the Wrinkles 1920-1932	Number 3
Ironing Out the Wrinkles (continued)

Although the Park Service had been using the same uniform drawing since 1917, the suppliers had been taking liberties with the design. All uniforms made since then, especially after the 1920 regulations came into effect, should have looked alike. But all one has to do is look at the photographs from this period to notice the many discrepancies. The regulations specified that the coat was to have a "pinch back" and that the bottom pockets were to be of the "bellows" style. The drawings submitted to the suppliers did not illustrate the "pinch back" detail, however, and not all the coats had this feature. Even though the "bellows" bottom pockets were illustrated in the drawings, many coats were made with simple patch pockets. Most did have the pleated top pockets specified.

Copy of the 1917 drawing of the NPS uniform, without N.P.S. on collar, 1926. This drawing was utilized in discussions which ended with the formalization of the uniform standard in 1928. National Archives / RG 79

Preliminary drawing of the 1928 pattern National Park Service uniform. This drawing was probably executed in 1927. NPSHC-HFC/RG Y55

Washington B. "Dusty" Lewis, c. 1925, superintendent, Yosemite National Park. Lewis was a great believer in uniforming the rangers and images always show him immaculately dressed, even in the field. NPSHPC - YOSE/RL 9429

Superintendent Lewis noticed the discrepancies among suppliers. In a June 1927 letter to the director he complained that "almost no two make the pockets the same, and none are stitching the cuffs as shown in the original design." He enclosed copies of the original uniform blueprint, with the N.P.S. scratched out with pencil, and a sample copy of a new blueprint, basically the same drawing with the N.P.S. eliminated from the collar. "It would be well to furnish each of the various concerns who advertise and make National Park Service uniforms, a copy of the design, with instructions that in making uniforms, this design should be strictly adhered to," he wrote. "I have accordingly had a new tracing made from which blue print No. 2 was made, which shows the uniform as was originally designed, and should be made." [24]

Acting Director Cammerer replied that the question of the back of the coat had been raised recently by one of the uniform dealers. "The uniform regulations prescribe that the coat shall have 'pinch back and half belt in back' while the blue print shows a plain back with half belt," he wrote. "This is a matter that should be corrected and I presume will be discussed at the next Superintendents' conference by the committee on uniforms." This discrepancy was corrected when the new uniform blueprints were drawn up and approved on February 12, 1928, by Cammerer. It is interesting to note that even though a new collar ornament had not been approved yet, the drawings included shield-shaped collar insignia, probably the version that Tomlinson favored.

The next superintendents' conference was held the following week at the Hotel Stewart in San Francisco. With some alterations to satisfy most objections, the uniform committee's recommended regulations were approved by the conference. Not everything had been decided; according to the minutes, "It was also recommended that the question of the adoption of a new device for collar ornament and national park emblem, leather hat band and a proper service star indicating ten or twenty years completed service be left with the permanent uniform committee for study during the next year." The proposed regulations were approved by Assistant Secretary Edwards on May 16 with minor changes, one being that the $5.00 badge deposit was made applicable to rangers only. (In 1930 the deposit was required only from temporary rangers because they were the ones most prone to "losing" their badges.)

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Last Modified: Thurs, Dec 14 2000 9:30:00 pm PDT
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