Quote:
Originally Posted by smotan_02
I dont believe you can call this Army without some more specific provenance. It is not West Point as their jersey's stated either "Army" or "West Point" throughout that time. If it is a unit, it will usually list the Unit on it like "4th AF" or "7th ID".
It may be an Army uniform, but I wouldnt accept that it is just because the seller said it was. I would need to have some very specific match photos to believe it is military from 1919-1920.
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Your points are spot-on with regards to the attribution. However, there are plenty of examples of military used uniforms that lack markings (unit identification) applied specifically to jerseys, trousers or even caps. You are also correct that West Point and the Naval Academy both had their uniforms adorned with lettering to indicate their school or branch (depending upon the year, dating back to at least 1903 - which is verifiable through photographic research).
I too have questions surrounding this uniform. I believe that this a few decades more recent. Also, neither the army nor the navy manufactured uniforms but were rather supplied through contract resources (yes, I am fully aware of the Naval Clothing Factory). Baseball uniforms and equipment fell outside of the normal appropriations channels, especially during wartime. I would love to see close-ups of the buttons and the tag that reads "Manufactured by the US Army" if that exists on either the trousers or jersey.