Steel Collar Stud (Archaeological Find)
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Title:
Steel Collar Stud
Subject:
Up until the 1960s, Harvard University required students and faculty to adhere to a dress code which paralleled period appropriate fashion. As of 1822, students were expected to wear an outfit including a greatcoat, a waistcoat with a standing collar, bombette trousers, and a cravat (Hoffmann, 2009, 43-44). One element of this required dress stood out as an expression of class - the collar. The “white-collar” appearance was important for the 19th century man, as it alluded to wealth and status. Winslow Warren, pictured above, was a member of a prominent Massachusetts family and the third of his name to attend Harvard (Balch, 1936, 592-593). His stiff, starched white collar was most likely the result of regular laundering. Many middle and lower class men, however, could not afford this luxury, making way for the introduction of the detachable collar in the early 1800s (Friedel, 2018). Prized for its easy washability, the removable collar was generally stiff, white, and attached to a shirt with a collar stud. A collar stud featured a flat, button-like segment that could include insets or engravings (Madison County Historical Society). The steel collar stud excavated in Harvard Yard may have once featured a glass or gem inlay, indicated by the indent on its face, though no decoration remains. The popularity of the removable collar in the 19th century, which necessitated a collar stud, indicates the artifact would be from this period. Although the detachable collar became widespread during the 1800s, its initial association with the middle class suggests this stud may have belonged to a student of average or lesser means.
Source:
Balch, Francis N. “Winslow Warren (1838-1930).” Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 70, no. 10, 1936,
http://www.jstor.org/stable/20023201.
Friedel, Robert. “A White Collar with a Message.” National Museum of American History, September 4, 2018, https://americanhistory.si.edu/explore/stories/white-collar-message.
“Jewelry Made for Men.” Madison County Historical Society, Accessed February 22, 2024.
https://madcohistory.org/online-exhibits/vintage-jewelry-people-who-wore-it-introduction/jewelry-made-for-men/
Hoffmann, Nichoals A. “Crow’s Feet and Crimson: Academic Dress at Harvard,” Transactions of the Burgon Society, vol. 9, 2009,
https://doi.org/10.4148/2475-7799.1071
Object Name:
Steel Collar Stud
Inventory Description:
Steel collar stud with a round face
Peabody Number:
2023.11.28
Culture/Period:
1800s
Intrasite:
H975 Level 2
Depth:
10-20 cm
Class 1:
Metal
Class 2:
Domestic
Class 3:
Pin
Quantity:
1
Height (cm):
2
Width (cm):
1.3
Depth/Thickness (cm):
0.1
Century:
19-20th Century