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Archiver > CORNISH > 2001-03 > 0985497763


From: John Zimmerman <>
Subject: Re: [CON] National Dress.
Date: Sat, 24 Mar 2001 22:24:45 -0700
References: <B6E17EEB.7749%visualarts@ozemail.com.au> <3ABBDEC5.9D3F332D@shoal.net.au> <00bf01c0b453$eae2ef00$78398aca@oemcomputer> <3ABD2DC4.60B09EB@shoal.net.au> <004301c0b4cc$46a01c00$95350e3f@pavilion>


Joan and All,

You can read a very detailed history of the origin of Jeans at:

http://www.auckland.nl/Levis/levisdenimhist.htm

Unfortunately there's no mention of Cornish miners, but the Nevada
tailor, Jacob DAVIS, is given full credit for his part in their
invention and is co-holder of the patent, along with Levi Strauss.

Best regards,

John

--
John Zimmerman
Mesa, Arizona

Researching: B U T L E R - B U Z Z A - D A V I S - H E S S O N
Ignorance is its own reward



Joan in Colorado wrote:
>
> I believe it was Warren and Pat who mentioned jeans and t-shirts as
> Australian national costume and this would be most appropriate as the
> Cornish miners may have invented jeans. Several years ago I went to the
> small mining town of Virginia City and it was mentioned on the tour that the
> Cornish miners there originally wore plain canvas trousers to work, which
> were made by a local tailor. They were not very convenient and they asked
> the tailor to put some pockets in the back where they could carry small
> tools and to add some metal rivets to strengthen the pocket and other
> stress points in the seams. He did as they asked and what we know as jeans
> were born. Then a gentleman called Levi Strauss visited Virginia City, saw
> what the Cornish miners were wearing and took the idea back to San Francisco
> where he produced similar trousers for the miners of the Gold Rush. He
> eventually found a better material from France known as 'genes' which in
> America became spelled as 'Jeans".
>
> I don't know how accurate the story is, but I definitely believe it!
>
> Best wishes, Joan
>
> ==== CORNISH Mailing List ====
> Cornish Recipes Page:
> http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~yvonne/cornishlib/cornishrecipes.html

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