It was back in the halcyon days of 1996 when EASTMAN first produced what we referred to as an ‘Original Maker’ A-2. This eventually expanded into the entire range of ‘Original Maker’ jackets that we now offer today, but the very first incarnation we offered was the 1941 Rough Wear 1401 contract. The same year we released our first properly bound catalogue (up to then it had been loose leaf brochures), calling it the 'Eastman Golden Book'. Now a coveted item, one of the articles in the book focused on the Rough Wear Clothing Co. itself, with information on the company's history and various military contracts, see below. Via our colleagues in the US, History Preservation Associates, we hired someone to go and photograph the old Rough Wear building, which we knew to be still standing in Pennsylvania, to illustrate the piece. This article was also featured in my 'A-2 Identification Manual' Book some years later.
Recently, and completely out of the blue, I was contacted by the person we had originally hired to shoot the building, Jay Marcinowski emailed me and reminded me of the shot he took for us, and mentioned how he was on vacation recently near that area and swung by the neighbourhood where the factory was, and lo and behold, it was still there and very much in use. Here’s his email below,
Hi Gary
My name is Jay Marcinowski. Over the years I have owned numerous EL jackets, beginning with a B-3 back in 1989. It fits a little snugger now. In and about 1996 I was in graduate school in Philadelphia. It was then that I provided some info for your 'Golden Book,' particularly the RW history section. During trips across Pennsylvania I stopped in Middletown - took some photos of the old RW factory (apartment building) and interviewed a women that was a former WW2 employee. Today, I happened to pass through Middletown, PA., (30 years later) while on vacation. And stopped by to take an updated photo of the former RW building and eat at the nearby, still operating, Kuppy's Diner (WW2). Just thought I'd make a timely connection.
Best Jay
Below is Jay's most recent shot of the building from 2024
Not only was it wonderful to connect with Jay again after all these years but also learning that this hugely important part of American cultural history is still standing and intact is fantastic. The Rough Wear building must undoubtedly have fed into the psychogeography of Middletown and its inhabitants over the years, in a town with a population of only 7000 people in 1940 the large factory would have been a significant social hub and played a valuable part in the region's economy. Founded in 1910 by Hyman Kirschenbaum under the name “Sportsman’s Apparel Company” in New York City, the company name was changed to Rough Wear Clothing Company in 1919, only manufacturing a line of sheep-lined and leather clothing. In 1923 the company moved to New Brunswick, New Jersey, and in 1928 moved again to Middletown, PA locating on Wilson Street in the former A. S. Kreider Shoe Factory. By the 1930s the Middletown factory had become well known for its in demand fleece lined jackets, even supplying jackets for Admiral Richard Byrd's expedition to 'Little America' in the Antarctic. During the late '30s, Rough Wear made custom motorcycle jackets for the New York Police Department, and in 1939 received their first US Army Air Forces contract for A-2 flight jackets. Once the US entered World War II, the company manufactured over half a million leather jackets and flying suits for the Air Force and the Quartermaster Corps. During these years they produced about 12,000 garments a week, eventually manufacturing over 119,000 of the iconic A-2 jackets in total using horsehide, cowhide and goatskin. The average cost per jacket at this time was $8.25. Every factory worker was issued a military style shield badge with their personnel number on it, to be worn at all times within the factory, as seen below.
The Rough Wear Clothing Co are known to have produced 6 government contracted orders for the Type A-2 flight jacket style. The contracts are as follows in order of date awarded:
1. 1940 Nov 2nd, contract 16159, 9,700 units
2. 1941 Mar 6th, contract 18091, 17,628 units
3. 1941 Aug 8th, contract 1401, 30,000 units
3. 1941 Aug 15th, contract 1671, 300 units
5. 1941 Dec 26th, contract 23380, 12,000 units
6. 1942 Apr 27th, contract 27752, 50,000 units
A total of 18 manufacturers were officially contracted by the US government to make the type A-2 flight jacket between 1931 and 1943. In that time, more than three quarters of a million pieces were produced between them, at a cost of nearly six and half million Dollars. Most of these companies were from the arena of sporting goods and outerwear manufacturing. Such was the industrial might of the US, companies like this could be relied upon to supply all the necessary requirements for war materiel: the US had at its disposal the largest and most formidable industrial infrastructure in the world, and once mobilised, it was quite simply an unstoppable juggernaut of war production. Rough Wear flight jackets were worn in all theatres of WWII, even famous Hollywood legend James (Jimmy) Stewart, who flew with the 703rd Bomb Squadron, and was at one point the squadron's commander, wore a Rough Wear A-2. His actual jacket now resides in the Jimmy Stewart museum in Indiana, Pennsylvania.
Post World war II, the Rough Wear Company went on to manufacture leather garments for motorcycle riding and sports and during the 1970s started making clothing for the fashion market, after 70 years in business the prestigious company closed its doors in 1982. The building itself continued on, housing numerous businesses and was eventually converted into apartments, as it is today. While it's unlikely the majority of those inhabitants are aware of the role their home played in the United States' success during one of the most important events of the 20th century, the fact that it still remains is one to be celebrated.
You can find the Eastman reproductions of a number of different Rough Wear contracts in the Original Makers section of the webshop.