Title:
Vest, Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar
Description:
Vest with detail work. Vest is constructed out of cotton, leather and needlework, although a fiber analysis was not conducted to confirm this. The cotton has the characteristic dull sheen and soft, grainy texture of cotton. The leather has a rough texture, dull sheen, and is heavy. The needlework has thread that is embroidered through a straw canvas. The straw has the characteristic stiff texture, flexibility, and is yellow. The vest has a rounded collar, no sleeves and is waist-length. It is fabricated where a piece of needlework comprises the two front panels. Different colored threads are embroidered through the straw canvas in various designs. The back of the vest is comprised of cotton. The vest is lined with cotton and leather. The cotton comprises most of the lining while the leathers lines the edges of the vest. The vest has a rounded collar made of needlework and a piece of leather. The vest closes from the front with several buttonholes. These buttons have been removed for possible reuse. On the back of the vest, there is a metal buckle that closes the martingale tie on the lower back. This buckle is made from an iron-based material, possibly steel. The buckle has red colored rust; this indicates that it is made from iron or plain carbon steel.
Description:
Historical Note: This vest was once the property of Mirabeau B. Lamar, President of the Republic of Texas, 1838-1841. Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar, son of John and Rebecca Lamar, was born near Louisville, Georgia, on August 16, 1798. He moved to Texas in 1835. When confronted by the news of the battle of the Alamo and the Goliad Massacre, Lamar joined the revolutionary army at Groce's Point as a private. When the Mexican and Texan forces faced each other at San Jacinto on April 20, 1836, Thomas J. Rusk and Walter Paye Lane were surrounded by the enemy. Lamar's quick action the next day saved their lives and brought him a salute from the Mexican lines. As the battle of San Jacinto was about to start, he was verbally commissioned a colonel and assigned to command the cavalry. In September 1836, in the first national election, Lamar was elected vice president. He was inaugurated the second President of Texas in December 1838. He died on December 19, 1859, and was buried in the Masonic Cemetery at Richmond, Texas.
Description:
Related Collection: Lamar family papers [Series II] at the Texas State Archives.
Identifier:
ATF0302
Item identifier:
ATF0302
Collection:
Artifacts collection
Date range of creation:
1820 to 1860
Source:
Texas State Library and Archives Commission, 1991/113
Container information:
Artifact Box 0138
Geographic coverage:
Texas
Subject:
Lamar, Mirabeau B. (Mirabeau Buonaparte), 1798-1859
Subject:
History
Subject:
Texas, Republic, 1836-1846
Type:
Image
Type:
Main Garments
Type:
Vest
Medium:
Cloth
Citation information:
ATF0302, Artifacts collection. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
Copyright information:
This image is in the Public Domain under the laws of the United States. The Item and its design depicted in this image may be protected by copyright, patents, trademarks, or other related rights. You are free to use this image in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. Unless expressly stated otherwise, Texas State Library and Archives Commission makes no warranties about the Item and cannot guarantee the accuracy of this Rights Statement. You are responsible for your own use. Please contact the Texas State Library and Archives Commission for more information. You may need to obtain other permissions for your intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy or moral rights may limit how you may use the material.
Size or duration:
17 in x 22 in