Costume
Jay's Ltd
Category
Costume
Date
circa 1920
Materials
Leather and metal
Measurements
115 mm (width); 35 mm (depth); 235 mm (length)
Place of origin
London
Order this imageCollection
Sudbury Hall Museum of Childhood, Derbyshire
NT 671241.7.1
Summary
A real leather holster, from of a set of accessories which are part of a children’s fancy dress costume based on a stereotypical representation of Native American dress. The main body of the holster is cut from one piece of leather, with a darker leather cord stitched along the edges and tied at the back of the base. The leather is stamped with various small stamps including circles with crosses in and flowers. The design is finished with an outline of split pins pushed through the leather. One of these is missing in the middle of the front piece. This fancy dress costume was bought from Jay’s Ltd for a children’s party in the 1920s. The clothes and accessories that make up the costume reflect a generic ‘American Indian’ stereotype which was depicted in Wild West stage shows and later Western films. Caricatures in these entertainments informed the game of 'Cowboys and Indians' which became popular in the United States and United Kingdom.
Provenance
Owned by donor’s family and donated to the Museum of Childhood by Jane Osgood in March 2011.
Makers and roles
Jay's Ltd, manufacturer Jay's Ltd, retailer