Tartan Day on Ellis Island

**Brian K** · 7th April 11, 10:23 AM

Originally Posted by JSFMACLJR

Matt,
What a splendid doublet! I assume it belongs to Bob Curry.

What can you tell me about it? Who made it?

Thanks!

Sandy

I, too, was taken with this doublet (the entire outfit, in fact), Sandy. I have never been a big fan of green, especially in quantity, but this is quite sharp to my untutored eye. I especially liked it because I recently designed a mostly green tartan to honor my Dad, who died last July. If I were to win the lottery I wouldn't hesitate to have it woven and something like this created from it. I could even see going as far as having two or three waistcoats made to accommodate different jackets for varying levels of formality.

I know the odds are long but, as Browning said, "...a man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for."

Regards,

Brian

PS - I suppose I should explain that I did the tartan in green despite my not being too fond of it because it was Dad's favorite color. For him I could wear that much green!

**Ancienne Alliance** · 5th April 11, 11:43 PM

Excellent photos !

Thank you for sharing these.

Best,

Robert

**Oddern** · 6th April 11, 01:34 AM

Great pics. What a great way to promote kilts, tartans and Scottish culture.
Skål!

**Mael Coluim** · 6th April 11, 06:02 AM

Outstanding Matt! This event and the following Parade is definitely on my bucket list.

In my mailbox this morning, I received this well timed announcement from the Scottish Register of Tartans.

**Brian K** · 7th April 11, 10:28 AM

Originally Posted by Mael Coluim

Outstanding Matt! This event and the following Parade is definitely on my bucket list.

In my mailbox this morning, I received this well timed announcement from the Scottish Register of Tartans.

I got that e-mail also, Ern, and I was very much impressed. It's a very elegant tartan, IMHO.

Regards,

Brian

**Santa Wally** · 8th April 11, 10:08 PM

I've never been to Ellis Island so this thread was very interesting and informative. Thank you for all the great photos. They clearly show the great job your display did Matt to educate the visitors unfamiliar with tartan.

**M. A. C. Newsome** · 9th April 11, 04:10 AM

Originally Posted by Santa Wally

I've never been to Ellis Island so this thread was very interesting and informative. Thank you for all the great photos. They clearly show the great job your display did Matt to educate the visitors unfamiliar with tartan.

Thanks. I have to say the credit for the great display goes mostly to Bob Currie of the Clan Currie Society. He spent the past year putting together the outfits and the information panels for the exhibition. The Scottish Tartans Museum's role was as an advisor to the exhibition, and then we brought up the materials for a tartan information table (and, of course, yours truly) to be on hand during the exhibition itself.

And, as a PS, the materials from the exhibition are now held in storage by the Clan Currie Society and are available for travelling exhibitions, if anyone wishes to sponsor a tartan display in their own neck of the woods. Contact Bob Currie for more details.

**M. A. C. Newsome** · 6th April 11, 06:01 AM

Hey, at least it wasn't a photo of Sir Sean wearing a tartan neck tie with his Prince Charlie! :-)

The exquisite doublet in the Currie tartan does indeed belong to Bob Currie. He inherited it, along with many other Currie items, from Col. William McMurdo Currie, founder of the Clan Currie Society and titular head of the clan, who died in 1992.

Bob Currie is sitting next to me on the train to DC as I compose this and he tells me it was made by a tailor in Glasgow whom he believed to now be out of business, though he cannot recall the name. He says to email him through the Clan Currie website if anyone is interested in more.

And you are correct, it is an extremely nice doublet! The sporran is not bad either!

**starbkjrus** · 6th April 11, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by M. A. C. Newsome

snip...

on the train to DC ...snip

If that was at 9:00 this morning you should be here by now......

So what are you up to?

**macwilkin** · 6th April 11, 11:17 AM

Originally Posted by starbkjrus

If that was at 9:00 this morning you should be here by now......

So what are you up to?

Matt is currently participating in a symposium on American state tartans at the Capitol Visitor Center. I was supposed to attend, but "bugetary issues" kept me from making the trip, and the Capitol VC Security folks kiboshed my Skype session to participate visually.