1860's Gymnasium Jacket

[13thKyCav]

35+ years ago, some friends & I were going to start a reenactment unit based on the 31st Va Infantry, Co. C. We were planning on eventually doing separate interpretations for early, mid & late war. We located a source (unit organizational minutes) that stated their initial uniforms included 'gymnasium jackets' as the uniform jacket.

My question is, what is an 1860's gymnasium jacket? I was never able to find an example or a picture then, or now. I assumed it would possibly be like the one Confederate jacket from the Western theater I've seen referenced many times; seems it was pictured in the EOG CS book (if I remember correctly) that had a single button at the bottom of the collar, allowing for more freedom of movement (I imagine).

Anyway, just wondering if anyone knew what this is, or had a picture.

Thank you.

 

[major bill]

An interesting question. This is not a term I have any information on. Germany Turner clubs (gymnastic clubs) were popular in the Civil War era. A good internet search should come up with what they wore and perhaps give some clue as to what a period gymnastic jacket might look like. Also try German Turnverein search.

 

[13thKyCav]

An interesting question. This is not a term I have any information on. Germany Turner clubs (gymnastic clubs) were popular in the Civil War era. A good internet search should come up with what they wore and perhaps give some clue as to what a period gymnastic jacket might look like. Also try German Turnverein search.

Thank you, major bill. I'll see if using your suggestions helps. I've done brief searches over the years but never really found much information.

 

[The Ninth Ohio]

Not sure if this is what your source is referencing, but here is a closeup of a portion of the lithograph made for the Cincinnati Turnverein showing their uniforms.

 

[RedRover]

From some late 19th and early 20th Century dictionaries...

From Wildenbruch's "Noble Blood: The Prussian Cadet's story"....

 

[13thKyCav]

Not sure if this is what your source is referencing, but here is a closeup of a portion of the lithograph made for the Cincinnati Turnverein showing their uniforms.

View attachment 574359

Thank you The Ninth Ohio. Some of these look like short length paletots.

 

[13thKyCav]

From some late 19th and early 20th Century dictionaries...

View attachment 574366

View attachment 574364

View attachment 574365

From Wildenbruch's "Noble Blood: The Prussian Cadet's story"....

View attachment 574367

Thank you RedRover. Thinking back to when we were considering this as an impression, I don't remember if it was decided by them whether they were going to have them made of cotton or wool. As far as I was able to find out then, there was no proof that they had these made.

 

[The Ninth Ohio]

Thank you RedRover. Thinking back to when we were considering this as an impression, I don't remember if it was decided by them whether they were going to have them made of cotton or wool. As far as I was able to find out then, there was no proof that they had these made.

Do you happen to know any of the reasoning behind this company being outfitted this way? Were they recruited in a more heavily populated area, did they have any sort of ethnic ties, etc?

 

[RedRover]

The German gymnastics crowd or Turnverein were by 1860-61 called "Turners" or "white jackets"...

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.$b41064&seq=25

Perhaps "white" jackets were being generally used for the purpose. From 1860...

 

[The Ninth Ohio]

I don't remember if it was decided by them whether they were going to have them made of cotton or wool.

These generally would have been made of linen. See below the account of the 1856 Covington/Newport Riot from the Jahrbuch der deutsch-americanischen Turnerei:

"With unflappable calm, the Turners held their position on the river; in their short linen jackets and hats bedecked with greenery they exhibited a stark contrast to the crowd; the riflemen had fixed their bayonets, silently and swiftly they followed the commands of their officers."