“The infection on the blankets was apparently old, so no one could catch smallpox from the blankets. The new demand for blankets and rugs meant that traders inadvertently contributed to deteriorating the standards, as traders started buying blankets by the pound. The stripes are of a very slightly darker shade of blanket wool with a more greenish hue when viewed in daylight. I got it from a guy who found it in a blanket roll with USMC shelter half. The blanket on the bottom, like the one in Greg's post, is the one I have most frequently seen that was in production early in WWII. The mountain soldier would ordinarily have to carry their sleeping bag and it was therefore essential to make it as light as possible and small enough in bulk to fit into the Mountain Rucksack. This was a sort of primetime for Navajo weaving. The two most prominent names in this equation were John B. Moore of Crystal Trading Post and Lorenzo Hubbell of The Hubbell Trading Post (Ganado). The head should not be put inside the sleeping bag, since moisture from the breath will accumulate in the bag. Following the example set by Hubbell and Moore in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, other prominent regional styles include: 1940s Yei weaving as related to the Shiprock region. Military blankets tend to be coarse grey, with thick fibers of over 20 microns. 2 have 1940 dated tags. In 2002, at the Tucson Antiques Roadshow, an owner of a First Phase Chief’s Blanket had it estimated at a price between $350,000 and $500,000 dollars. If you require a personal response, please use our contact page. Instead, red cloth was imported from England, as the English were accomplished at extracting carmine dye from the cochineal beetle. Label, zipper, and lacing of Sleeping Bag, Mountain M-1949Click photo for larger image. From US-Army field jackets to Marine Corps boots, Navy pea coats, and US Air Force glasses, our GI apparel is made in the USA and as stylish as it is functional. "B" Names WW1 blankets, which were used throughout WW2, had a heavy chainstitched "USMC" which due to the fact that the machines couldn't make a 90 degree turn had a very distinctive look. Military Issue equipment, clothing, boots, MREs, MOLLE gear and much more. The crosses in 20th century Navajo weaving most likely came from Caucasus weaving. An illustration of Ottawa Chief, Pontiac confronting Colonel Henry Bouquet who authorized his officers to spread smallpox amongst native Americans by deliberately infecting blankets after peace talks. "X" Names We may update this record based on further research and review. 1-16 of … The components of ECW Sleep System are not interchangeable with the components of the Modular Sleep System. Blanket making in 1933. The mountain sleeping bag (and Arctic version) had tie straps attached to the foot of the bag. I wonder what that marking "MC and TSA Phila QM Dept" refers to? The label is not sewn on, it is held on by some kind of adhesive. This blanket feels just like a WWII wool blanket. © 2020 A&E Television Networks, LLC. The Navajos spun their own wool up until the 1860s when the US Army interfered. Ca. Ty, US MILITARIA FORUM - COLLECTORS PRESERVING HISTORY Air out the sleeping bag as often as possible to evaporate moisture. But both styles proved very popular. Note: ECW bag has cotton balloon cloth inner panel with polyester 6 oz. Navajo treaty singers around 1868 and The Treaty of Bosque Redondo. There is never ending debate between the US WWII reenactors, collectors and other people interested in the US WWII era militaria which model of the blanket was more typical in the midst of WWII era frontline GIs for their foxhole service -- M1934s or medical ones in their OD variants? A long quick-release zipper ran the length and the head was enclosed in a hood shape. Oftentimes the historical context of an art piece can be just as enticing as the actual product itself. A US Navy blanket from the '50's. Besides, the Indians just had smallpox—the smallpox that reached Fort Pitt had come from Indians—and anyone susceptible to smallpox had already had it.”, The most important indication that the scheme was a bust, Ranlet says, “is that Trent would have bragged in his journal if the scheme had worked. Were any unmarked blankets made in the 20's - 30's or were they all marked at least with the "US"? Image via Google. They spun their own wool from their own Navajo-Churro sheep and the quality was soft, warm and light, making them ideal for wearing. It is most assuredly WWII or perhaps a bit pre-WWII. "C" Names These extra heavy wool blankets were made to speed up production when the Ordnance Department (as Well as QMC did away with the brown stripes) did away with the double brown stripes and US ordnance Bomb in center of blanket. The Marine Corps used basically the same blanket from the WW1 period through the 1950's, maybe even the '60's but I don't remember what they looked during that period and I don't have any examples in my collection. It's very soft, has no edge stitching and has no tags. Army Blanket Record, Thomas Kay Woolen Mill, 1943. "P" Names The sleeping bag was placed in the case when not in use. Invisible to the naked eye, the loose thread would allow their soul to escape. The Navajo people believed that no one was perfect but God, and thus what they created needed to have some degree of imperfection, a sort of humility. These sleeping bags are approximately 85 inches long x 35 inches wide at the shoulders, suitable for someone up to about 6 foot 2 inches tall. It’s woven vertically on the loom like all Navajo blankets, with the exception of the Chief’s blanket. There are many fine websites that have additional information on this It came from the estate of a man who was in the AAF. The case could also be used as an added foot covering in extreme cold. The strengths and weakneses of the designs were well known. The one shown in my pic has a spec tag dated 1942 and I also have a blanket with no "USMC" also dated 1942. PLEASE NOTE: THIS COMMUNITY MEMBER, SADLY, HAS PASSED AWAY. A 1973 study conducted with Dine Community College has estimated that it takes an average of 345 hours, or over two weeks of active time, to make and sell a blanket: There are three major Navajo blanket forms worth knowing: A Serape is a shoulder’s blanket which is woven longer than it is wide. Grey wool with "US" inkstamped in the center. For sleeping, it was unrolled and made into the best arrangement for the conditions. Prior to the mid-seventeenth century, a backstrap loom, also called a belt loom, had been the norm for weaving. Some 04's have 'US' either stitched or printed in the center of the blanket. Around the same time, Pendleton Woolen Mills introduced some new, cheaper wearing-blankets with Navajo motifs, which made it even harder to sell the Navajo originals. batting filling. During this period British forces tried to drive out Native Americans by cutting down their corn and burning their homes, turning them into refugees. Electronics the M-1949 sleeping bag was replaced by a new system of sleeping bags, still very close in design to the M-1949 Mountain bag. Otherwise they were all forest green wool with black stripes at each end. "M" Names The same year saw the import of three-ply dyed yarn from Germantown, Pennsylvania. If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. They also implemented new marketing strategies. In the center it has 'MD US Army' stitched and the date is stitched at one end in between the maroon stripe and the edge of the blanket. He tasked Colonel Kit Carson who, through an elaborate assault and “scorched earth” military strategy (burning their land and killing their livestock), succeeded in forcing the Navajo from their land. Then sometime in 1942, there was an overlap in the changeover, they went to the wartime blankets with NO "USMC" stitching. The first 50 years are scarcely represented, with an estimate of 50 surviving examples of the rarified piece. A length of olive drab parachute cord can be used to lace the outer water-repellant case to the sleeping bag itself, to form one unit. Standard US Army wool blanket, made in 1963. U.S. Army Field Mess Gear Following the Civil War, the Army experimented with brace systems in 1872 and 1874. One of the first trading posts in Southwest, Hubbell Trading Post, Ganado, Arizona. It was actually a lucky coincidence, with competition and trends shaping the market, that drove the Navajo into the business of home decoration. “We can’t be sure,” Kelton says. Union soldiers were issued many items other than their weapons and ammunition. Image Bureau of Indian Affairs via Tom Clark. Brought over by the Spanish, who referred to the cloth as. The ICW bag may have feathers and down, depending on the year of manufacture. Many children and adults use a blanket as a comfort object. In Kelton’s view, that rendered them far more vulnerable to the ravages of disease than a pile of infected blankets. It cancelled No. The casing was made of water repellent balloon cloth. The dictionary definition of blanket at Wiktionary, "Blankets" redirects here. The two parts could be rolled up together and the ties used to secure the roll. It’s woven vertically on the loom like all Navajo blankets, with the exception of the Chief’s blanket. Navajo blankets were traditionally woven on primitive, hand-operated looms, pioneered in the area by the Pueblo people. [1][2] Purchase History; Buy Again; Selling; Saved Searches; Saved Sellers; Messages; Notification. A very interesting post -- thanks a lot for sharing Type I blanket for WWII era GIs. Only thing that changed was the "USMC" markings in the center. At first this was frustrating to the Navajos, so they started to deliberately overlook quality control such as scouring of the wool to increase the weight of the product and thus their income. From Iberian Churro sheep, the Navajo started breeding their own type of sheep, the Navajo-Churro. The record above shows one day’s output at the mill (July 23, 1943), which could produce about 300 Army blankets a day. Weavers in 1873 near Fort Defiance, New Mexico. "J" Names I would be very thankful for any comments. In the nineteenth century, the U.S. Army sent contaminated blankets to Native Americans, especially Plains groups, to control the Indian problem (Stearn and Stearn 1945). The free-form chain stitching style of the blanket on the bottom does NOT indicate a blanket of WWI origin as seems to be the general belief. - Group shot of my various blankets. In the 1970s (?) The fort’s hospital had patients with smallpox, and Ecuyer feared the disease might overwhelm the population inside the fort’s cramped confines. I informed my step-dad as to what it was and that I would be taking it from him. Marine in M-1949 Mountain Bag, Outpost Carson (Hill 27), Korea, 1953. Blankets from this period are known to be soft, tight and light in weight. In the War of 1812 American privateers would attack and capture British ships. Not to be confused with other Native American tribes such as Apache, Pueblo or Ute, the Navajo peoples have their own language, religion and way of life. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. Stripes were also colored with indigo, which could be obtained from indigofera shrubs imported from Mexico on pony caravans. It matches exactly another that I bought at SOS last year and then traded to a very knowledgeable Marine collector. Some even added clay to the bottom of the rugs. Photo: Philadelphia QM Depot. Distinguishing the Serape from the Chief’s is not so easy if you’re not an expert on textile weaving. View cart for details. In the 1870s, the newly-chartered Santa Fe Railway started bringing Easterners to the Southwest. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online. -2nd (pic 3) is much thicker but doesn't have the US in center. By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use. Personal information will not be shared or result in unsolicited email. It weighs about 2 pounds and self-inflates as soon as unrolled if its valve is open.