14 Comments

Great story, Elaine! When you get down to it, history is about stories. Always fascinates me...

Tom

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Fascinating information.

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It's so important to save and attribute the pieces of history we have, to respect the achievements of our predecessors and the culture that followed

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That’s the way we tell the story in A@W. Pomp was freed in 1762, eighteen years before the Massachusetts abolishment upon William Lovejoy’s death. According to one source, Pomp was given thirty-one acres including Pomp’s Pond in Lovejoy’s will.

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The leather 'box' says Made in England-- there are 5 collars-- Linen- Phillips-Jones, NY USA.. size 15.. and 1- 75%Cotton- 25% linen--Made in England for Brooks Bros. - Low Hamilton for shirt size 15 1/2 All of them are for the formal Tuxedo or cut-away .. that would take the ascot type tie.

But Dad had the regular detachable collar for his every day business suit with the usual tie. Those collars are not in this box! I think he kept those collars in his bureau drawer. I really don't remember seeing this box at the house. Which makes sense.. he didn't wear these collars except for dressy occasions! Thanks, Tina

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Hi Elaine… No Andover connection for my father…though he made business trips for his New York City Bank to North Andover to visit the Stevens family on business and likely wearing one of those collars! I have not checked the collars to see if where they were made… I’ll take a look. Thanks, Tina

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This brings back memories of my father's removable-collar shirts from the 1930s. Thank you!

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I have the leather drawstring container/holder that holds my father s detached collars!!.. He died in 1992.. and I just couldn't bring myself to throw them all away! I keep it on my bureau. If the History Center would like to see it and possibly have it, please let me know. I am quite willing to give it to you! Tina Girdwood

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Hi Tina, what a great memory of your father! If your father or the collars have an Andover history, they're more likely to be accepted into the collection. But even so, the collections committee might decide otherwise. Email me and let me know!

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And those were not the only kind of collars! In doing genealogy, I found a distant relation in the 1870s who was a collar maker. Naturally I thought of the collars you are showing. Later, I was amused to discover that he made--horse collars. This was in Manhattan with its many thousands of horses then. There can't be many horse-collar makers left today.

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I always wondered why collars & cuffs were detachable.

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Neat! Were people able to buy just collars?

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How great to come across this History Buzz entry as I read Theodore Dreiser's 'An American Tragedy', which is partially set in a collar making factory in the 1920's. Thank you for the interesting post!

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Stories about “every day life” are always my favorite! This was a pleasant read! Thank you!

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