Crombie Checkback Caped Coat

MakerMade by Crombie (Aberdeen, Scotland, founded 1805)

WearerWorn by Dr Rosalind M P Milne (born 1906)

Date1940s

Object NameCoat

MediumWool

ClassificationsFashion and Dress

DimensionsL: 102 x B:108 x W: 120 cm

AcquisitionPresented in 2007.

LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub

Object numberABDMS076790

About MeMade by J. and J. Crombie Limited, this sleeveless caped coat is called a checkback because the inside of the coat is lined with a check cloth. This type of coat was seen as a status symbol as it was more expensive due to the extra check fabric used for the lining.

The coat belonged to and was worn by Dr Rosalind M. P. Milne (born 1906) the first female anaesthetist in Aberdeen. She was appointed anaesthetist at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary on the 1 Aug 1937 and lived in the Rosehill area of Aberdeen.

Crombie was founded in Aberdeen, Scotland in 1805, making it one of Britain's oldest brands.Crombie began as a producer of luxury cloth, which it sold to cloth merchants and direct to London tailors. By the 1850s, Crombie had won quality awards from Queen Victoria and Napoleon III at the Great Exhibition in London and the Exposition Universelle in Paris respectively. Later, Crombie expanded from simply manufacturing the fabric for other producers, to creating coats under its own name. Crombie is most famous for its luxury coats - so much so that the word 'Crombie' is sometimes used by other companies to refer to their own coats produced in the style of Crombie's most famous three-quarter length (usually wool) overcoats.