Company’s Uniform Collection

The Company has a collection of approximately 300 nineteenth century uniform items purchased by Mrs. Anne S. K. Brown in the early 1950s. The purchases were from two major private collections and the materials have the importance of having a known provenance for over a half-century. A number of items include records of either manufacture or use and the collection is a treasure trove for both the scholar and the novice. The collection has uniforms as early as 1810 with the majority relating to the 1850s militia and to variations of Civil War uniforms, both Union and Confederate.

Sample item from the collection:  Berkeley Border Guard Coatee, worn by John Q. A. Nadenboush, ca. 1858-1861.

The collection is located at the Virginia War Museum, located at 9285 Warwick Blvd, Newport News, VA 23607 and is an easy drive from Williamsburg, Yorktown, and Virginia Beach. The Virginia War Museum houses a major collection of weapons, accouterments, and uniforms related to all of America’s Wars since 1776. Questions can be referred to Richard Hoffeditz or William O’Neill or by calling 757-247-8523. The collection is exhibited on a rotating basis so an appointment stating areas of interest is advisable if you wish to visit the collection.

A complete searchable list of the collection is below.