Unique Item: Bulletproof Vest

This may look like the average 1930s wool suite vest, however add 15 pounds of metal inserts and you have a Dunrite bulletproof vest. These were popular among gangsters as they are inconspicuous and light enough for a quick getaway. However they offer minimal protection.

John Dillinger's gang used bulletproof vests, usually stolen from police stations. A Dunrite vest was found in Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker's Ford V8 with a few bullet holes.*

This vest was manufactured by Detective Publishing Co., Chicago. The front and back are connected by snaps at the shoulders and elastic straps on the sides which can be adjusted for size. This vest is a good example of the different materials we have in the collection. It combines wool, metal and plastic. Caring for items with more than one material can be a challenge. Through the textile project we hope to find the best storage for unique items like this.

Bulletproof vests have come a long way since the 1930s, but I think these look classier. 

Donated by Roger and Beverly Rose

*Dary Matera, John Dillinger: The Life and Death of America's First Celebrity Criminal, (New York: Caroll & Gaff Publishers, 2004), 392.