Lap Robe

[townsedan]

 

I was directed to your forum in my search to validate a Lap Robe that has been in my possession for over 20 years. It was given to me by the Grand Daughter of a lady who said she had used it in an early Packard Roadster. It seems to have been included with the car, but not verified.

The blanket has some interesting clips, a zippered pocket and what appears to be two belt loops. It is light tan on one side and dark on the reverse. 48 x 41 inches.

I live close to the Packard Proving Ground, and have taken it there (at car shows, etc) for information to no avail. I have looked in  your forum on the subject but none related to my particular robe.

Your comments would be much appreciated.

 

[TAKerry]

Very neat. Looks to be in very good condition as well. I know nothing of the sort but am pretty sure there is at least one member and most likely others that know a bit about these. Im sure one of them will chime in shortly.

[Grimy]

@edinmass is our resident authority on these.....

[Trulyvintage]

Google search:

 

” paca-pile timme tuft “

 

Several images and a 

pair of pants for sale:

 

@ https://www.ebay.com/itm/284440671805

 

 

Jim

[wayne sheldon]

The "zipper" was invented about the time of World War One (the "Great War"), however did not start becoming common until around the time of World War Two. Clothing, like non-military men's pants and suit slacks almost never had zippers until after the second world war.

So that zippered pouch, if original to the blanket, might make it later rather than earlier. 

Lap robes were still in common use in the 1950s, even in closed cars. Heaters were not yet standard equipment, and most sedans had blanket ropes on the back of the front seat where either front or rear passengers could grab the blanket when they got cold.

[CChinn]

I recall a lap robe thread on the forum last year. Ed had several posts and shared a photo of a very neat and valuable motor robe from the White House. I forgot which administration (FDR?) Some of the old auto companies had motor robes with their name and logo on the label. Here is a photo of one I have from the American Woolen Co circa 1940-50s. I also got the same info when I googled “paca pile Timme tuft”. Could it have been a regular woolen blanket for general use and not made specifically for the auto Industry?

[Twisted Shifter]

Here are some previous posts that might be informative:

 

 

 

 

[8E45E]

59 minutes ago, wayne sheldon said:

Lap robes were still in common use in the 1950s, even in closed cars. 

I believe the final year Studebaker had a robe hanger on the back of the front seat was 1955, and only on the President model.

 

Craig

[edinmass]

2 hours ago, townsedan said:

 

I was directed to your forum in my search to validate a Lap Robe that has been in my possession for over 20 years. It was given to me by the Grand Daughter of a lady who said she had used it in an early Packard Roadster. It seems to have been included with the car, but not verified.

The blanket has some interesting clips, a zippered pocket and what appears to be two belt loops. It is light tan on one side and dark on the reverse. 48 x 41 inches.

I live close to the Packard Proving Ground, and have taken it there (at car shows, etc) for information to no avail. I have looked in  your forum on the subject but none related to my particular robe.

Your comments would be much appreciated.

 

 

Interesting. The material indicates Alpaca, which was and is always expensive. Working blind here, as I have never seen anything like it. While it was probably used in a Packard roadster, one asks what was it made for new? I’m not certain. It’s very small for an automobile lap robe. And the cut and finish of it does not approach what I expect to see in an automotive product. The fit and finish seems lower or not as elaborate as what I expect in a motor robe. My early robes from 1915 are much larger and have fancier stitching and borders. Thus, the only thing I can say is………I have no idea what it is. My suspicion is non automotive. Just a judgement call after collecting them for 40 years. 

[edinmass]

Here is my FDR lap robe. One of about 25 I still have. I have photos of FDR and Hoover using it at the inauguration.
 

 

[townsedan]

Hey thanks everyone for the input. Maybe Gramma was a bit senile? I was convinced by the labels style that it was much older. But the comment about the Zipper being post WWII, and small size cleared that up. Perhaps she did use it in a Packard, as she claimed, but much newer than previously thought. Oh well, it's still a nice something, just not what we thought. Thanks again!!

 

[28 Chrysler]

She may have used in in the 1950s while riding in a Packard.

[Paul Dobbin]

I keep a blanket on the robe rail in the back seat of our 1934 Ford Fordor, which does not have a heater.  (Was originally a Texas car)

Got to keep the freeloaders warm and comfortable.

 

Edited December 16, 2023 by Paul Dobbin
added picture (see edit history)

[Jim Bollman]

I have a lap rob that came from my great aunt.  It was in the back of a 1954 Studebaker that my Dad bough from her estate. I think she was around 90 when she died in the early 60s.  It doesn't have any tags on it but is a hide from some animal with long black hair, we have always guessed buffalo or bear with a wool blanket backing. We have used it on several stair cases to keep cold air from coming down or hot air going up. I'm guessing it was used by her in cars for years and just moved from car to car. I assume maybe early 20s but may be older.

[Sidemount33]

@edinmass : is this the same robe as yours?
 

https://www.rrauction.com/auctions/lot-detail/333424804472012-franklin-d-roosevelts-presidential-limousine-lap-robe

[edinmass]

3 minutes ago, Sidemount33 said:

@edinmass : is this the same robe as yours?
 

https://www.rrauction.com/auctions/lot-detail/333424804472012-franklin-d-roosevelts-presidential-limousine-lap-robe

Nope…..later version. It’s a real robe.

 

 

 

[Sidemount33]

More wondering if the auction listing robe and your robe were the same in terms of size/colour/design work/insignia work.

 

The WH would likely have had a few dozen of them on standby, and how many were given away or taken as souvenirs later, one wonders....

[edinmass]

Nope…….they made three for FDR. They were provided by a company in Philadelphia, and when the White House returned the Pierce Arrow fleet, which were a lease for one dollar a year for each Pierce car the secret service had possession of, the lap robes were given to a Pierce Employee at the factory administration building.

 

PS- the auction listing is incorrect, you can’t trust anything in an auction catalog.

Edited December 17, 2023 by edinmass (see edit history)

[wayne sheldon]

Looking at the "auction" listing shared above? I certainly am no expert on lap robes, and definitely not on presidential ones! However, the first thing I noticed in the auction photos is that the embroidered "Presidential Seal" appears to be a sewn on embroidered patch. Not something I would expect to see on a "highest end" Presidential robe of ninety years ago.

I have never been one to attend many auctions. Only been to a few in all my years in the hobby. However I have known many people that bought and sold major collector cars at auctions (Jack Passey among them!), and a few times I attended just because friends of mine were going anyway. I learned a long time ago to not believe what was published in the auction catalogs.

[Sidemount33]

20 hours ago, edinmass said:

Nope…….they made three for FDR.

Ah - so these robes were a custom-made item, and not supplied by the Pierce factory when the cars were delivered. That makes more sense why there would only be three of them. 
 

RE: Catalogue marketing: yes, I cottoned onto that several decades ago, when the X-Ray specs I ordered from the back of the comic book weren't as effective as described...

 

[dodge28]

Now I know why the metal rod at the back of my 28 DB is called a rob rail (robe rail)  No Heater in the car so blankets was hung there,

In the 20s and 30s kerosene lamps were lit under the oil pan in winter and box delivery trucks used candles on dash board to defrost the inside of windshield.

[dodge28]

At first I thought that rail was there for back seat passengers to hang  on to when the car was driven at rough and fast speed.

[ddavis]

It's great for hanging your trouble light on when working on the back area.😁

[vette-kid]

Very cool!  I'd love to find one to hang in my P2.  

[dodge28]

Will a horse blanket do ?  I think horse blankets are made of camels hair. 

[EmTee]

I remember we had one of these in the car back in the '60s.  Wool blanket in a zippered case that could be used as a cushion.  I'm guessing the one we had was from the '50s...

 

[vette-kid]

On 12/24/2023 at 8:30 PM, dodge28 said:

Will a horse blanket do ?  I think horse blankets are made of camels hair. 

Maybe.   I've seen motorobe, and I've seen sine listed as carriage robes.   But really a horse blanket I guess (don't know a lot about horses).

 

There are motorobes on ebay between $50-100.

[zepher]

As a kid, I remember thinking the lap robe rail was to hang onto when the car was driving down the road.

None of the prewar cars I grew up around had an actual lap robe on the bars or braided cords hanging from the back of the front seat.

[dodge28]

Some were braided cords, It was less expensive to make. Horse blankets were usually made of coarse wool , usually from camels hair and fairly inexpensive. In the horse and buggy days in the colder climate a horse blanket was put the  the back of the horse,(winter coat)  

[arcticbuicks]

in the northern states and canada early on.......there were a lot  buffalo robes......later on ...aftermarket robes were not just for cars but also airplanes.........and having a robe was not complete without charcoal foot warmers....velvet covered boxes that held hot coals from the wood stove.......and even pocket heaters .... nothing like fire in your pants to keep you warm-basically a huge zippo style lighter with wide flame and perforated cover to guard from flame

Edited December 29, 2023 by arcticbuicks (see edit history)