Tuxedo jacket from the travel wardrobe trunk used by Cab Calloway: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

A Reda tuxedo jacket from the travel wardrobe trunk used by Cab Calloway. The solidly black tuxedo jacket is double breasted with narrow lapels. The proper right lapel panel has a tab that crosses over the front, just below the chest, but is cut below to fall like a single breasted jacket. The jacket closes with two black plastic pearl buttons just below the chest. The tuxedo jacket has short, turned up cuffs with a single black pearl button at each cuff. The interior of tuxedo jacket is partially lined with black fabric with a satiny finish and striped woven texture over the breast panels and top back of the jacket. The two interior, welted, breast pockets have fabric tags sewn over each of them. The tag sewn over the proper left breast pocket is maroon with gold embroidered text that reads [CUSTOM] and [TAILORED] at the top on either side of a large red and gold embroidered [W] next to an embroidered black and gold shield logo. Gold text embroidered below reads [FABRIC MADE IN / Great Britain]. The fabric tag sewn over the proper right interior breast pocket is black with gold embroidered text that reads [CUSTOM TAILORED / by / Reda / 2391 GRAND CONCOURSE]. Both labels have embroidered, gold, zigzag stitched frames. The sleeves are lined with a cream color fabric with thin brown and tan stripes. The back of the jacket is hemmed down the center and there is a short flap at the bottom.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: mid 20th-late 20th century
• Manufactured by: Reda, American
• Worn by: Cab Calloway, American, 1907 - 1994
• Type: jackets
• Type: tuxedoes
• Medium: cloth with plastic
• Dimensions: H x W (Flat): 31 3/4 × 26 9/16 in. (80.7 × 67.5 cm)
• Place made: New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
• 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: A2015.273.1.1.54.1
• 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.