Mini sewing kit from the travel wardrobe trunk used by Cab Calloway: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A mini sewing kit from the travel wardrobe trunk used by Cab Calloway. The small plastic kit is rectangular in shape with rounded corners. The case (A2015.273.1.1.38a) has a solid black bottom and a clear plastic top with a molded plastic snap closure at the center of one short side and a molded plastic hinge on the other. It opens to reveal two interior compartments on the left and right sides. Printed on the front of the sewing kit is gold text that reads [BANKERS TRUST] below a gold and black logo of a stylized evergreen tree. One corner of the lid is partially melted. The bottom is plain. Six loose items inside the case include: a piece of red foil paper holding three sewing needles with repeating black text printed on the white paper backing that reads [Made in Japan](A2015.273.1.1.38b); a green plastic thimble (A2015.273.1.1.38c); a small, black, plastic spool of taupe thread (A2015.273.1.1.38d); a small, rectangular foam divider (A2015.273.1.1.38e); a small, black, plastic spool of white thread (A2015.273.1.1.38f); and a small, black, plastic spool of black thread (A2015.273.1.1.38g). All three spools have embossed text on one end that reads [10 YARDS / 10 YARDS].

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: mid 20th-late 20th century
• Manufactured by: Unidentified
• Distributed by: Bankers Trust, American, 1903 - 1997
• Owned by: Cab Calloway, American, 1907 - 1994
• Type: kits (sets)
• Type: spools
• Type: needles
• Type: thimbles
• Type: boxes (containers)
• Medium: plastic with thread, polyethylene foam, metallic paper and metal
• Dimensions: H x W x D (A2015.273.1.1.38a): 13/16 × 2 1/2 × 1 13/16 in. (2.1 × 6.4 × 4.6 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W x D (A2015.273.1.1.38b): 2 1/16 × 9/16 × 1/16 in. (5.2 × 1.4 × 0.1 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W x D (A2015.273.1.1.38c): 7/8 × 11/16 × 11/16 in. (2.3 × 1.8 × 1.8 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W x D (A2015.273.1.1.38d): 1 × 9/16 × 9/16 in. (2.5 × 1.5 × 1.5 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W x D (A2015.273.1.1.38e): 9/16 × 7/16 × 1 13/16 in. (1.5 × 1.1 × 4.6 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W x D (A2015.273.1.1.38f): 1 × 9/16 × 9/16 in. (2.5 × 1.5 × 1.5 cm)
• Dimensions: H x W x D (A2015.273.1.1.38g): 1 × 9/16 × 9/16 in. (2.5 × 1.5 × 1.5 cm)
• Place made: Japan, Asia
• 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: A2015.273.1.1.38a-g
• 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.