Processed by
Kathryn Wilmot
August 2007
Manuscript and Visual Collections Department
William Henry Smith Memorial Library
Indiana Historical Society
450 West Ohio Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202-3269
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VOLUME OF |
Manuscript Materials: 3 document cases, 8 oversized
manuscript folders |
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COLLECTION |
1843–1929 |
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PROVENANCE: |
Mrs. Albert Parker Niblack, Washington, DC, January 1992 |
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RESTRICTIONS: |
None |
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COPYRIGHT: |
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REPRODUCTION |
Permission to reproduce or publish material in this collection must be obtained from the Indiana Historical Society. |
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ALTERNATE |
None |
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RELATED |
SC 2577 (Wm. E. Niblack letter) |
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ACCESSION |
1930.1201 |
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NOTES: |
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William Ellis Niblack was born in Portersville, Dubois County, Indiana on 19 May 1822 to John Niblack and Martha (Patsy) Hargrave. He attended Indiana University at Bloomington and received his attorney’s license for Dubois County, Indiana in 1843. That same year he was appointed county surveyor and received a notary public commission for Martin County. In 1845, Niblack began practicing law in Old Mount Pleasant, later moving to Vincennes, Indiana.
Niblack was elected member of the Indiana House of Representatives in 1849 and served in the Indiana Senate from 1850–53. He was appointed judge of the 3rd Judicial Circuit in 1854. From 1856–61 he served the Indiana Supreme Court as a Democrat representing the 1st Congressional District. Niblack went back to the House of Representatives for the years 1862–63, and was again elected to the Supreme Court from 1863–75. In 1876, Niblack became a judge of the Indiana Supreme Court and was re-elected in 1882.
Niblack married Malvina Reily in January 1848. After her death,
Niblack married Elizabeth Ann Sherman on 4 October 1849 in Mount Pleasant, Indiana. Their children were: Martha (b. 29 June 1851), William Caldwell (b. 5 Sept. 1854),
Mason Jenks
(b. 14 April 1857), Albert Parker (b. 25 July 1859), Eliza Marie (b. 7 Dec.
1864), and Sarah Lydia (b. 15 April 1868). The couple moved to Indianapolis in 1889. Niblack died on 7 May 1893 and was buried at Crown Hill Cemetery.
Albert Parker Niblack was born in Vincennes, Knox County, Indiana on 25 July 1859, the son of William E. Niblack and Elizabeth Ann Sherman. Niblack enrolled in the Naval Academy in 1876 as a cadet midshipman, and was assigned to Lackawanna in 1880. He graduated and became a midshipman in the United States Navy in October 1882, receiving a promotion to ensign in 1884. Niblack surveyed and explored Alaska from 1884–87, and worked with the Smithsonian Institution.
In August 1892 Niblack was promoted to lieutenant junior grade. In February 1893 he was assigned to the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey on Patterson. Later that year he went to Washington, D.C. to work at the Office of Naval Intelligence and then the Bureau of Navigation. In March 1894, Niblack served on USS Dolphin. Appointed naval attaché to the U.S. Embassies in Berlin and Rome, and the U.S. Legation in Vienna, Niblack went overseas in 1896. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1897.
During the Spanish-American War, Niblack served in the North Cuban blockading squadron on USS Topeka, participating in the Battle of Fort Nipe. He also briefly commanded USTB Winslow [U.S. torpedo boat]. In October 1898, he went to Manila in the Philippine Islands to serve on USS Olympia, USS Concord and USS Oregon. Niblack participated in the Philippine-American War in Manila and Iloilo. In 1900, he was placed in charge of locating a site for a naval station in the Philippines. He also went to China from February–October 1900 during the Boxer Rebellion.
After these engagements, Niblack served on USS Castine, U.S. Flagship Brooklyn, and USS Culgoa. He was sent to New York in 1901 to work on the Olongapo Naval Station Board. In June 1902, Niblack was promoted to lieutenant commander. He served on USS Iroquois from 1904–06 and in the Pacific Squadron from 1906–07. In 1907 he became executive officer of USS Chicago, and later commanded USS Tacoma. He was promoted to commander in 1908. In 1910 he once again served as a naval attaché, this time to the American Embassy at Petropolis, Brazil, and the Legations at Buenos Aires, Argentina and Santiago, Chile. He was then transferred to perform the same duties in Berlin, Germany, receiving a promotion to captain in 1911.
From 1913–15 Niblack commanded USS Michigan. During the Mexican Revolution in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson directed Michigan to help settle the “Tampico Affair,” provoked by the arrest of several United States Navy personnel by General Victoriano Huerta’s forces in Tampico and Veracruz, Mexico. Niblack was also a member of the General Board during this time. In March 1917, he served as brigade commander at the inauguration of President Wilson. During World War I, Niblack commanded Division One, Battleship Force, Atlantic Fleet in charge of USS Alabama. He received a temporary appointment to Rear Admiral in August 1917, which became permanent in March 1918. In October 1917 he became commander of Squadron Two, Patrol Force, in charge of USS Nashville. Niblack moved to USS Decatur in December, and then to USS Buffalo in August 1918 as Commander of U.S. Patrol Squadrons Based on Gibraltar. In January 1919 he was sent to Venice, Italy to command the U.S. Naval Forces Operating in the Eastern Mediterranean onboard USS Olympia.
Niblack became Director of Naval Intelligence in March 1919 and naval attaché to London in 1920. He made Vice Admiral in January 1921, commanding USS Pittsburgh, USS Utah, and the U.S. Naval Forces Operating in European Waters. Niblack then went back to the United States as Commandant of the 6th Naval District and Navy Yard at Charleston, South Carolina. He retired 25 July 1923.
During his career, Niblack authored several papers, lectured at the Naval War College, and wrote a book entitled The Coast Indians of Alaska and Northern British Columbia. He was particularly interested in signaling and tactics. Niblack married Mary Augusta Harrington (born 2 April 1869) on 24 November 1904 in San Francisco, CA. They had at least one child, a daughter named Sarah (Sade). Niblack died on 24 August 1929 in France. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. His wife Mary died 26 April 1949.
Sources:
Information in the collection
Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Available online at: http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=N000083
LDS Familysearch. Available at http://www.familysearch.org
Who Was Who in America. Indiana Historical Society reference collection [E176 .W64]
Series 1: William E. Niblack Papers and Correspondence, 1843–1883 contains Niblack’s Dubois County attorney’s license; certification of membership in the American Legal Association; appointments to county surveyor, judge of the 3rd Judicial Circuit, representative of the 1st Congressional District, attorney and judge of the Supreme Court, and trustee of the Indiana State Normal School; and commission as a colonel in the 6th Regiment of the 1st Military District. The correspondence consists of three letters written by William Niblack, two of which were directed to United States Attorney General Jeremiah Black in 1857 and 1858 protesting the removal of Alvin P. Hovey as Indiana’s District Attorney.
Series 2: Alfred P. Niblack Papers and Correspondence, 1876–1927 contains orders issued to Niblack detailing his assignments and duties, various certificates, and commissions and promotions. The correspondence contains commendation letters regarding Niblack’s meritorious service in the Navy and his seamanship. A letter written by Niblack outlines suggested repairs for USS Winslow. Several other letters reveal Niblack’s dissatisfaction with shore duty as a naval attaché and his repeated requests for a battleship command.
Series 3: Publications and Speeches, 1891–1923 mainly contains papers written by Niblack on tactics, signaling, training, and physical exercise reprinted from the U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings. There is a printed speech given by Niblack in Spalato (Split), Yugoslavia at a celebration honoring his role in the formation of that country after World War I.
Series 4: Newspaper Clippings, 1898–1921 provides information on the Spanish-American War, the Tampico Affair during the Mexican Revolution, and a visit from Emperor Hirohito to USS Pittsburgh in 1921. The clippings provide some biographical information on Niblack.
Series 5: Collected Publications, 1876–1918 consists of two historical publications, the Fergus Historical Series and Manuscripts from the Burton Historical Collection, likely collected by Niblack. These publications contain reprints of speeches, papers, directories, and lectures regarding the history of Chicago and Illinois. Subjects addressed include Native Americans, slavery, settlers, medicine, religion, politics, Fort Dearborn, and railroads.
Series 6: Photographs, 1915–ca. 1923 includes three photographs of Admiral Niblack in his various uniforms, and a photograph of the officers and crew of USS Michigan. The folder containing the photograph of USS Michigan also contains a letter written to Admiral Niblack from President Woodrow Wilson commending Michigan for achieving the highest marks in gunnery and engineering in the Navy’s battleship competition. Other photographs of Niblack appear in OM 0047, Folder 3 (diplomatic passport) and in M 0220, Box 1, Folder 4 (certificate of identification).
Series 7: Artifacts, ca. 1880–1929 contains numerous artifacts that belonged to Admiral Niblack, including gloves, hats, uniform coats, epaulets, pennants, and flags.
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CONTENTS |
CONTAINER |
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William E. Niblack certificates and commissions, 1843–72 |
Box 1, Folder 1 |
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William E. Niblack certificates and commissions, 1850–73 |
OM 0047, Folder 1 |
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William E. Niblack correspondence, 1854–58 |
Box 1, Folder 2 |
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William E. Niblack certificates and commissions, 1876–83 |
OM 0047, Folder 2 |
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CONTENTS |
CONTAINER |
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Certificates and commissions, 1876–1893 |
OM 0158, Folder 1 |
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Orders, 1880–98 |
Box 1, Folder 3 |
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Certificates and commissions, 1882–1927 |
Box 1, Folder 4 |
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Correspondence and commendations, 1887–1923 |
Box 1, Folder 5 |
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Orders, 1889–1902 |
Box 1, Folder 6 |
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Certificates and commissions, 1897–1910 |
OM 0158, Folder 2 |
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Orders, 1910–16 |
Box 1, Folder 7 |
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Certificates and commissions, 1911–30 |
OM 0158, Folder 3 |
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Diplomatic passport, 19 Nov. 1917 |
OM 0047, Folder 3 |
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Orders, 1917–19 |
Box 1, Folder 8 |
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Orders, 1920–23 |
Box 1, Folder 9 |
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CONTENTS |
CONTAINER |
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The Enlistment, Training, and Organization of Crews For Our New Ships, 1891 |
Box 1, Folder 10 |
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Proposed Day, Night, and Fog Signals for the Navy with Brief Description of the Ardois Night System, ca. 1891 |
Box 1, Folder 11 |
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Naval Signaling, 1892 |
Box 1, Folder 12 |
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The Gun in Naval Warfare, ca. 1894 |
Box 1, Folder 13 |
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Annual Report of the Operations of the Naval Militia, 1895 |
Box 1, Folder 14 |
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The Tactics of Ships in the Line of Battle, 1896 |
Box 1, Folder 15 |
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Instructions to Blockading Vessels and Cruisers, 1898 |
Box 1, Folder 16 |
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The Jane Naval War Game in the Scientific American, ca. 1903 |
Box 1, Folder 17 |
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Operations of the Navy and Marine Corps in the Philippine Archipelago, 1898–1902, ca. 1903 |
Box 1, Folder 18 |
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The Tactics of the Gun, ca. 1903 |
Box 1, Folder 19 |
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Colliers and Coaling Stations, 1904 |
Box 1, Folder 20 |
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The Elements of Fleet Tactics, 1906 |
Box 1, Folder 21 |
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An Answer to Criticisms of ‘The Elements of Fleet Tactics,’ ca. 1906 |
Box 2, Folder 1 |
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Lieutenant Dewar’s Papers on ‘Speed in Naval Tactics’ and ‘Speed in Battleship Strategy,’ 1907 |
Box 2, Folder 2 |
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“Criticism Which Should be Ignored,” loose clipping removed from Lieutenant Dewar’s Papers . . . n.d. |
Box 2 Folder 3 |
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U.S. Naval Academy Order No. 45, loose item removed from The Elements of Fleet Tactics, 1909 |
Box 2, Folder 4 |
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A Plea for Physical Training in the Navy, 1909 |
Box 2, Folder 5 |
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The Swedish System, a Further Plea for Physical Training in the Navy, 1911 |
Box 2, Folder 6 |
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The Letters of a Retired Rear Admiral to His Son in the Navy, 1915 |
Box 2, Folder 7 |
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Speech Delivered by Vice Admiral A. P. Niblack, U.S. Navy, 1921 |
Box 2, Folder 8 |
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Athletics, Beneficial or Otherwise, 1923 |
Box 2, Folder 9 |
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CONTENTS |
CONTAINER |
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Newspaper clippings, 1898–1921 |
Box 2, Folder 10 |
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Newspaper clippings (photocopies), 1898–1914 |
OM 0158, Folder 4 |
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Newspaper clippings (originals), 1898–1914 |
OM 0158, Folder 5 |
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CONTENTS |
CONTAINER |
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Fergus Historical Series, issues 1–5, 1876 |
Box 2, Folder 11 |
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Fergus Historical Series, issues 6–10, 1876–77 |
Box 2, Folder 12 |
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Fergus Historical Series, issues 11–14, 1879–80 |
Box 2, Folder 13 |
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Fergus Historical Series, issues 15–17, 1881–82 |
Box 2, Folder 14 |
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Fergus Historical Series, issues 18–21, 1882 |
Box 2, Folder 15 |
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Fergus Historical Series, issues 22–23, 1882–84 |
Box 3, Folder 1 |
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Fergus Historical Series, issues 24–25, 1882–83 |
Box 3, Folder 2 |
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Manuscripts from the Burton Historical Collection, numbers 1–3, Oct. 1916–Feb. 1917 |
Box 3, Folder 3 |
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Manuscripts from the Burton Historical Collection, numbers 4–6, July 1917–Jan. 1918 |
Box 3, Folder 4 |
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Manuscripts from the Burton Historical Collection, numbers 7–8, April–July 1918 |
Box 3, Folder 5 |
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CONTENTS |
CONTAINER |
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Officers and crew of USS Michigan, Sept. 1915 |
OVC Photographs, |
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Commendation letter from President Woodrow Wilson that accompanied USS Michigan photograph, 11 September 1915 |
Box 3, Folder 6 |
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Admiral Albert P. Niblack, ca.
1917–23 |
OVC Photographs, |
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CONTENTS |
CONTAINER |
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Gloves for service dress uniform [olive colored suede, lined in beige leather], ca. 1880–1923 |
Artifacts: R 0655 |
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Gloves for military evening dress and full dress uniform [white kid leather], ca. 1880–1923 |
Artifacts: R 0656 |
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Admiral’s cap [white canvas with black band and brim], ca. 1880–1923 |
Artifacts: R 0657 |
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Admiral’s cap [black wool with woven black band and black felt brim], ca. 1880–1923 |
Artifacts: R 0658 |
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Admiral’s bicorne hat [black felted beaver or seal skin], ca. 1880–1923 |
Artifacts: R 0659 |
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Vice Admiral’s uniform coat [blue wool, double breasted], ca. 1917–23 |
Artifacts: R 0660 |
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Vice Admiral’s navy dress blues tailcoat [blue wool, double breasted], ca. 1917–23 |
Artifacts: R 0661 |
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Vest from dress uniform [off white linen], ca. 1917–29 |
Artifacts: R 0662 |
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Uniform trousers [dark blue], ca. 1917–29 |
Artifacts: R 0663 |
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Shoulder epaulets for dress uniform [two gold epaulets], ca. 1917–23 |
Artifacts: R 0664–65 |
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Commission pennant flown by Admiral Niblack [white, red, and dark blue with seven stars], ca. 1898 |
Artifacts: R 0666 |
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Shoulder marks for naval Captain [blue felt with silver eagle], ca. 1898–1917 |
Artifacts: R 0667–68 |
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Shoulder marks for Rear Admiral [blue felt with two silver stars and gold decoration], ca. 1917–20 |
Artifacts: R 0669–70 |
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Belt [brown canvas with black
canvas trim], |
Artifacts: R 0671 |
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Attaché’s aiguillette [braided gold and blue cords], ca. 1910–13 |
Artifacts: R 0672 |
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Rear Admiral’s flag [blue woven fabric with two white stars], ca. 1917–20 |
Artifacts: R 0673 |
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Vice Admiral’s flag [blue woven fabric with three white stars], ca. 1920–29 |
Artifacts: R 0674 |
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American flag presented at Admiral Niblack’s funeral [red, white, and blue with 48 stars], 1929 |
Artifacts: R 0675 |
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Cape for dress uniform [blue wool lined in dark gray cotton], ca. 1917–29 |
Artifacts: R 0676 |
For additional information on this collection, including a list of subject headings that may lead you to related materials:
1. Go to the Indiana Historical Society's online catalog: http://opac.indianahistory.org/
2. Click on the "Basic Search" icon.
3. Select "Call Number" from the "Search In:" box.
4. Search for the collection by its basic call number (in this case, M 0220).
5. When you find the collection, go to the "Full Record" screen for a list of headings that can be searched for related materials.