A traveling duster is a loose fitting outer garment worn to shield clothing from the dirt, dust and grime of travel. Though protective outer garments have been used for centuries to shield workers from the hazards of their trade, traveling dusters are unique in their association with the luxury of rapid travel. Within the United States, references to traveling dusters seem to have increased in the mid 19th century, just as train tracks were spreading throughout the United States.1 Nineteenth-century passenger and freight trains were powered by steam engines, which were fueled by burning coal or wood. The resulting smoke and ash entered the passenger cars through open windows, along with dust generated by the movement of the train along the tracks. All in all, nineteenth-century train travel was a fairly dirty business. It's no wonder that dust and dirt repellent traveling dusters were worn by many train passengers.
Duster
Linen
1877-1880
Gift of Joshua & Jenny Livingston
2000.879.1