What's in the Old Round Box?

I was digging around our attic last month looking for my old LL Bean Duck Boots (see post 1/7/11) and came across a special item given to me by my dear Mother years ago.  This peculiar little round leather box holds a very unique item not seen 'round these parts in many, many years...an antique detached collar.

Here's a little history lesson from our Wikipedia friends:

"A detachable collar is a shirt collar separate from the shirt, fastened to it by studs. The collar is usually made of a different fabric from the shirt, in which case it is virtually always white, and, being unattached to the shirt, can then be specially starched to a hard cardboard-like consistency.  Some believe that Hannah Lord Montague invented this collar in Troy, NY, in 1827, after she snipped off the collar from one of her husband's shirts to wash it, and then sewed it back on. The Rev. Ebenezar Brown, a businessman in town, proceeded to commercialize it. The manufacture of detachable collars and the associated shirts became a significant industry in Troy.

It was later that the benefit of being able to starch the collars became apparent, and for a short time, various other parts of the shirt, such as the front and cuffs, were also made detachable and treated to rigid stiffness. As more emphasis started to be placed on comfort in clothing this practice declined, and the stiff collar is the last surviving use of such heavily starched cotton in daywear; while a full dress (worn with white tie and occasionally black tie) still has a stiff, but attached, front and cuffs to accompany the stiff detachable collar.

The collar is attached to the shirt by a pair of studs like those shown above. The shirt has a tunic collar, a short upright band of fabric with a hole at the back and one on each side at the front. The stiff collar is attached at the back before the shirt is put on (and the tie placed under the collar for a turndown collar), then the shirt is put on, after which the front stud is pushed through the collar to fasten it."

This particular collar isn't special but for only one reason...it was a gift from Mom.  It's not a family heirloom, it didn't belong to a President and it's not significantly older than most.  It's just something I own that reminds me of Mom and how much she enjoyed sharing her son's passion of clothing and style.  So if you've never seen one of these things up close, next time you're over for supper, remind me to pull out this odd round box and let you take a gander.  Heck, you can even try it on if you like!