Images(3)

Coat

Date1785-1802

OriginEurope, Poland, Warsaw

MediumSilk, linen, wood, gold, silver

Credit LineGift of The Valentine Museum, Richmond, VA

Object number2023-33

DescriptionA striped silk coat made of dark green, light green, white, and pink stripes, fully lined in a fine white twilled silk. Each cuff and pocket flap have three large buttons. The right hip of the coat has an additional 2 small buttons to hang a Chamberlains Key. These buttons were made of gold and silver threads. On the right shoulder is a small cloth covered button place at the collar and the remains of a silk cord can be seen placed along the top of the armscye. This was probably to hold the Order of Saint Stanislaus ribbon in place. A total of ten buttons run down the center front and they close through only three welted buttonholes on the center of the chest.

Construction History:
1) Initial Construction ca. 1785
2) Possible addition of button at shoulder and loop when awarded the Order of Saint Stanislaus in January 1790.
Label TextBy the mid 1780s mens coats began to have tall standing collars such as seen on this example worn by Lewis Littlepage. Littlepage probably purchased this once he reutrned to Poland in the mid 1780s. The inventory taken at his death notes "1 coat with no star to wear in summer at court" which probably refers to this surviving example.
ProvenanceThis coat was worn by Lewis Littlepage (1762-1802) who was born in New Kent County, Virginia. Little page died in 1802, leaving his estate to his stepbrother Waller Holladay. The surviving objects passed directly through the Holladay Family until gifted to the Valentine Museum in 1952 by Mr. and Mrs. A. Randolph Holladay II. In 2022, the objects were transferred to the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.

This coat was noted on the inventory taken at Littlepage's death in 1802:
"List of cloaths belonging to Lewis Littlepage taken from the information of Jacob David Wacker, August 17, 1802...1 coat with no star to wear in summer at court..."