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Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.
Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.
Naval Boat Cloak Worn by Franklin Roosevelt
Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.
Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.

Naval Boat Cloak Worn by Franklin Roosevelt

Artifact IDMO 1981.54
Object Type Cloak
Maker (American, 1933 - 1951)
Date1942
Mediumfulled wool, cut velvet, silk satin weave lining
Dimensionsoverall H 52 in (132.1 cm )
Physical DescriptionA U.S. Navy regulation boat cloak. Made of black wool and fully lined, the cloak has a black velvet collar, black frog closure, and two hooks and eyes at the neck. A printed label sewn inside the interior right pocket reads: NAVAL UNIFORM SHOP / NAVAL CLOTHING DEPOT / BROOKLYN / NEW YORK / Name F D ROOSEVELT [name typed] / Date 8/14/42 [date typed].
Historical NoteFDR wore this distinctive cloak during his trip to the Yalta Conference in the Crimea, Ukraine, in February 1945. It is a U.S. Navy regulation officer’s boat cloak. Roosevelt wore similar boat cloaks during other trips he made during his presidency. The image of FDR in these cloaks is one of the most enduring of the war years.

The cloak is designed to be worn during movement by a ship to protect the wearer from the cold and his clothing from the effects of spray. It opens at the front and is fitted with two frogs (knotted lengths of braided cord), which engage to secure the cloak closed. The relative ease with which such a cloak could be put on and taken off made wearing it an attractive alternative to more conventional garments—especially for someone whose ease of movement was hampered by the effects of polio.

This boat cloak was made at the Naval Clothing Depot at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York City in August 1942. It is a standard officer’s boat cloak, ordered and unaltered for FDR’s use.
Additional Details
Credit LineGift of Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jr.
National Archives Catalog CollectionFranklin D. Roosevelt Library Museum Collection (National Archives Identifier 735948)
National Archives Catalog SeriesPersonal Possessions of the Roosevelt Family (National Archives Identifier 782689)
Use Restriction StatusUnrestrictedCopyrightReproduction or other use of these holdings or images thereof is unrestricted.
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