2-832-901 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

A Pullman Porter uniform cap owned by Robert Jackson Thomas. Being a Pullman porter was one of the jobs that helped build the black middle class in America, and Pullman porters were key figures in the civil-rights movement. The cap has a stiff, black crown and a black plastic visor. Metal buttons are on both sides of the cap where the visor meets the crown. The buttons are silver colored with the word “PULLMAN” on it. An off white corded strap connects both buttons and rests on the visor. A tarnished silver colored plate at the front of the cap has black lettering that reads “PULLMAN / PORTER.” Four black metal grommets are found in the top of the hat. The interior liner is a strip of brown leather sutured together at the seam.