Clark Gable's Uniform Coat and Cap: Museum Object and Cultural History
Clark Gable's Uniform Coat and Cap: associated date: 1941 - 1945. enlistment date: 1942-08-12. user: Gable, Clark.
The object in the museum catalogue
Dark olive-drab cap with gold-colored cord piping. Light olive-drab officer's coat, single-breasted with four buttons, belted. Captain's insignia on shoulders; United States and air corps insignia sewn on collar and lapel. Insignia of Eighth Air Force on left arm. The coat's label is marked in black ink, "E. ABINGTON & SONS/RUSHDEN & KIMBOLT/Capt. Clark Gable."
Clark Gable enlisted in California on August 12, 1942. He told the news media: "There is a war to win, and I consider it my right to fight." On October 27, 1942, Gable was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Army Air Forces. He was issued serial number 056-5390 and transferred to Tyndall Field in Florida.
Materials, dates and provenance
- associated date: 1941 - 1945
- enlistment date: 1942-08-12
- user: Gable, Clark
- maker: E. Abington & Sons
- Object Name: coat
- Other Terms: coat; Man; Army; Officer; Service
- Physical Description: wool (overall material)
- Physical Description: metal (overall material)
- Measurements: overall: 34 in x 19 in; 86.36 cm x 48.26 cm
- place where Gable enlisted.: United States: California
- Subject: Entertainment, Film
- related event: World War II
- related event: The Great Depression and World War II
- ID Number: AF.79691M
- catalog number: 79691M
- accession number: 321728
- Credit Line: The Family of William R. McGee
- Data Source: National Museum of American History
Sources and reuse
Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of American History through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed.
Sources
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