Jacket, zouave jacket

This type of open-fronted, short jacket became popular in the mid-19th century. It was often called a 'Zouave' jacket after the uniform of French army regiments first raised in 1831 in Algeria and recruited from the Zouaoua (or Zwāwa), a tribe of Berbers, the indigenous ethnic groups living in North Africa. During the Crimean War (1853 – 1856) the Zoaves first fought outside of Algeria.

The jacket was part of a group of objects donated by two sisters in 1937. According to a note in the file, one of them remembered

'this worn during the sixties with a loose thin white blouse, called a Garribaldi & dark skirt, probably merino, which was a popular material then, finished with a wide lace collar, brooch and long gold watch chain.

I think the jacket may be French and date 1864-6 as Clara Pitt then journeyed to San Remo and used to return with French outfits, & French presents and gay things for small nieces and nephews.'

Clara Pitt (1824-1910) was the daughter of George Ashby Pitt (c. 1782-1832) and Ann Lonsdale (1786-1860) and presumably was the aunt of the two sisters donating the jacket.