Coat
Red Deer Museum + Art Gallery
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| Object Name: | Coat |
| Accession Number: | 1984.151.75 |
| Cultural Context: | Textiles and Social History |
| Earliest Production Date: | 1930 |
| Absolute Date: | c.1940 |
| Description: | Tweed Coat, made by Burberry's for W.J. Wilson, Victoria, B.C.;;Burberry's was founded by 21 year old Thomas Burberry in 1856. Thomas was an active sportsman and angler and he was not happy with the heavy and restrictive raincoats of his day. He developed a light but densely woven water -repellent cotton fabric. Many anglers, hunters, drivers, explorers, and the Crown Prince Edward, who called his coat "the Burberry", appreciated Burberry's coats. The Prince's nickname was registered in 1909, at the same time as the trademark of the knight on horseback carrying a lance with a pennant reading "Prorsum'. This coat was acquired from W.J. Wilson in Victoria, B.C. a store that specializes in quality clothing from Great Britain.";;Phorsum/Burberry's/London/Agents/W&J Wilson/Victoria, BC/Made in England;Thomas Burberry (b.1835-1926), who apprenticed with a draper in Basingstoke, Hampshire, opened his own store in 1856. As as active sportsman, Burberry was not satisfied with the rubberized mackintosh raincoats: They were heavy, restricting and stifling and generally not suited for extended fishing trips or other outings. Burberry developed a lightly woven fabric with water repellent yet sturdy cotton yarn. The lightweight fabric which allowed air to circulate was trade-named "Gabardine', a term derived from Shakespeare's term for shelter from inclement weather. In 1891 Burberry established his own store at Haymarket. the trademark equestrian knight with the motto, "Prosum" banner dates from 1909, and is still used. Sportsmen, hunters and drivers appreciated the coats and other 'active wear' from Burberry. Ernest Shackleton, Roald Amundsen and Robert Scott wore Burberry overalls and tents for their South Pole expeditions. And although Thomas Burberry called his coat "the gabardinee", the Crown Prince Edward (later VII) called it "the Burberry" and that name stuck; it was eventually registered in 1909. Burberry's trench coat was introduced during WWI and was an immediate hit. This coat remained stylish ever since. In the 1990s Great Universal Stores, a British mail-order company with international markets bought the company. |
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| Institution City: | Red Deer |
| Institution Province: | Alberta |
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