The Salvation Army’s bunch of blue-coated, blue-skirted men

[imadube]

Interesting bit history from the 1930's/Late 1800's
http://www.daytonhistorybooks.citymax.c ... ation.html

[Sasquatch]

An interesting account of a bit of history, but it was not apparent to me that the men were necessarily skirted. Rather it seems like a possible misconstruction easily derived from the author's imprecise phrasing in describing the "Soldiers".

Sasq

[Since1982]

Agree on interesting history but,

a little bunch of blue-coated, blue-skirted men and women kneeling about an upturned bass drum in the streets of New York and Philadelphia

It's pretty obvious to me that the men were blue coated and the women were blue skirted. A man in that time period that was not a slave would not have been wearing a skirt for any reason. That was the height of the Victorian era and black or blue trousers for men were the "only" choice.

[imadube]

I search for any other referance to "bunch of blue-coated, blue-skirted men and women" on the net but came across nothing with the Salvation Army other then new stuff. I hoped to find some sort of collective history with maybe illistations or photo's but nothing.
Just seemed cool about the way that sentance was phrased pointing to the "everydayness" to men in skirts at the time.

[Since1982]

Imadube said: Just seemed cool about the way that sentance was phrased pointing to the "everydayness" to men in skirts at the time.

But it wasn't, except in your mind. I read the entire page and there were no other references to blue coated, blue skirted men without the word "women" right after "men and". It's fun to "think" that could be what it meant, but I know it didn't mean that and I assume you know it too. Anyone who reads the entire page knows that. There was a better chance of seeing a man in a skirt/MUG in the 1800's to 1918 in a Monastery than anywhere else in the USA. Certainly not on the streets of New York. As far as I know, and I may be wrong, even crossdressing didn't really exist beyond the theater, circuses and tent shows ie: Bearded lady etc. until about 1950 and Christine Jorgensen was the first known man to woman transsexual in 1954. She was nearly hanged for it. Was rescued and became the subject of early "National Enquirer" type scandal sheets. I was 13 when she became famous.