Cummerbund from the travel wardrobe trunk used by Cab Calloway: Museum Object and Cultural History
Cummerbund from the travel wardrobe trunk used by Cab Calloway: Date: late 20th century. Manufactured by: Mel Howard Formal Wear Accessories, American. Worn by: Cab Calloway, American, 1907 - 1994.
The object in the museum catalogue
A Mel Howard cummerbund from the travel wardrobe trunk used by Cab Calloway. The patterned, medium gray cummerbund is primarily constructed of gray silk with a cotton backing. The gray silk front panel has four horizontal folds that extend across the waist when worn. The gray fabric has a woven texture with a pattern that includes dark gray dotted lines, accented with small, light pink, eight petal flowers with a dark pink centers. Extending from each end of the cummerbund are two gray, elastic waist straps that attach at the back with a flat hook and eye. Both of the waistband straps have metal strap adjusters. The back of the front panel of the cummerbund is lined with white cotton. Sewn to one side of the lining is a black fabric tag with white embroidered text that reads [Mel Howard / ONE SIZE / FITS ALL / 27-48]. Sewn to the opposite side of the lining is a second black fabric tag with white embroidered text that reads [ALL / SILK]. The back of both tags are blank.
Materials, dates and provenance
- Date: late 20th century
- Manufactured by: Mel Howard Formal Wear Accessories, American
- Worn by: Cab Calloway, American, 1907 - 1994
- Type: cummerbunds
- Medium: silk (textile) with cloth , metal and elastic
- Dimensions: H x W x D: 5 3/8 × 37 1/2 × 3/8 in. (13.7 × 95.3 × 1 cm)
- Topic: African American
- Topic: Band (Music)
- Topic: Clothing and dress
- Topic: Conductors (Musicians)
- Topic: Costume
- Topic: Entertainers
- Topic: Jazz (Music)
- Topic: Singers (Musicians)
- Object number: A2015.273.1.1.42
- Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Cabella Calloway Langsam
- Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture
Sources and reuse
Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: No known copyright restrictions Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
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