This fabric jacket with leather trim on shoulders, collar, and front of jacket, features depictions of Marcus Garvey, founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) and African Communities League (ACL). The inner lining is quilted and depicts characters from the television show “Star Trek.” There is a red, black, and green patch with the text “Zulu Nation” on the back of the jacket. This jacket was created to commemorate the Centennial of Marcus Mosiah Garvey (1887-1940) and available through the Universal Zulu Nation company created by hip hop artist Afrika Bambaata (b. 1957).
Afrika Bambaata (born Kevin Donovan), an American DJ from the Bronx, was influential in the early development of hip hop and is regarded as the “Godfather” of hip hop culture. He has been instrumental in spreading hip hop music and culture around the world, as well as creating opportunities and helping to improve the lives of others in the hip hop community through his organization "Universal Zulu Nation." In 1990, Bambaataa made Life magazine's "Most Important Americans of the 20th Century" issue.
Women's Jewish Welfare Board (JWB) uniform from World War I, consisting of hat, coat, shirtwaist, tie, skirt, and insignia. Coat and skirt are olive green wool gabardine, shirt is white dimity, hat is blue cotton, and tie is blue silk. Metal "U.S." insignia on coat lapel and cloth "J.W.B." patch with Star of David background on shouler and hat. Donated by the Jewish Welfare Board through The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America.
The Jewish Welfare Board (JWB) was organized shortly after America’s entry into World War I, consolidating religious groups in the Jewish community to become an official agency to work with the War Department through its Commission on Training Camp Activities. It was modeled after the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) and the Knights of Columbus, and other organizations that in World War I adapted military-like uniforms for women and men volunteers. The JWB built buildings and stocked libraries on army installations and distributed books, articles, Bibles, and prayer books supplied through its affiliation with the Jewish Publication Society. It established community branches in the “second line of defense,” by supporting Jewish workers in the shipyards, arsenals, and other military plants and factories, as well as hospitals and universities where the government had taken over under military regulations. Following the Armistice, under direction of the Navy Department, the JWB transferred its peacetime work to veteran’s hospitals and enlarged Jewish community centers.
U.S. Army Contract Surgeon women's uniform from World War I. The uniform consists of a coat, skirt, shirtwaist, necktie, campaign hat, gloves, boots, and insignia. The coat and skirt are made of olive drab wool. The hat is brown wool with a black and maroon hat band and black and gold hat cord. The shirt is olive drab cotton and the tie is maroon cotton. The gloves and boots are brown leather. Insignia include metal "U.S." insignia on shirt collar and bronze caduceus with a superimposed "CS" monogram on the coat lapels. World War I Victory ribbon on left breast. Three overseas service chevrons on lower left sleeve, depicting 6 months of service each. This uniform was worn by Dr. Loy McAfee, who was assigned to the Office of the Surgeon General by orders dated May 17, 1918. Donated by Dr. McAfee through The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America.
During World War I the U.S. Army Medical Department employed contract surgeons in order to meet the demand for additional skilled medical personnel. Women who were contract surgeons served as anesthetists, lab technicians, dispensary physicians, and other capacities as needed.
Source:
Vivian Lea Young, “'Petticoats Are Part of this Uniform': American Women Volunteers of the First World War and Their Uniforms” (Master's thesis, George Washington University, 1987).
Women's American Library Association (ALA) uniform from World War I, consisting of a hat, coat, shirtwaist, necktie, skirt, and insignia. The hat is green velour, the coat and skirt are olive green wool gabardine, the shirtwaist is white crepe de chine, and the tie is greenish brown silk. Metal lapel and hat insignia and cloth sleeve insignia show "ALA" over an open book. This uniform was donated by the ALA through The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America.
The ALA's mission during World War I was to provide American men in the armed forces with reading material during their off-duty and recovery hours on transport ships, in camps, and in hospitals. Men served as librarians for the ALA, while women typically engaged in fundraising, sorting and preparing books, and working at ALA headquarters.
Source:
Vivian Lea Young, “'Petticoats Are Part of this Uniform': American Women Volunteers of the First World War and Their Uniforms” (Master's thesis, George Washington University, 1987).
This fabric jacket with leather trim on shoulders, collar, and front of jacket, features a printed patchwork floral pattern and has blue fabric lining. There is a red, black, and green patch with the text “Zulu Nation” on the back of the jacket. This jacket was available through the Universal Zulu Nation company created by hip hop artist Afrika Bambaata (b. 1957).
Afrika Bambaata (born Kevin Donovan), an American DJ from the Bronx, was influential in the early development of hip hop and is regarded as the “Godfather” of hip hop culture. He has been instrumental in spreading hip hop music and culture around the world, as well as creating opportunities and helping to improve the lives of others in the hip hop community through his organization "Universal Zulu Nation." In 1990, Bambaataa made Life magazine's "Most Important Americans of the 20th Century" issue.