'50s Chromium Mining Orange Sherbert Bowling Shirt w/ Chain Stitching | Harold

Description

I'm offering for purchase what I believe is an incredibly unique '50s era bowling shirt in extremely rare barely worn state. I even knew the original owner, as this shirt just happened to belong to my Great Uncle Harold before he passed. He lived and worked around Chicago Heights, and Chromium Mining was company related, though the story there is lost with his passing. But what I do know about Harold is that he was a bit of a shut-in, so picturing him doing something like bowling after work was a little surprising. That probably explains why his shirt looked like it was either never worn, or worn a single time. I'm not sure he ever
did
go bowling, but the company gave him the shirt!
I dated the shirt to the '50s based on what I knew firsthand, but also from a few
Enro
(the shirt company) advertisements that I came across from the era. It's just a guesstimate at this point. The shirt itself is clearly barely worn, as evidenced by near perfect tags and deep
black
chain stitching throughout. But as it turns out, while never wearing and washing a shirt is the best way to keep it looking new, it does potentially create a different issue. You're going to find a little spotting on this shirt that likely comes from, I've come to realize, the dye of the black chain stitching itself when the shirt was folded up! It's a peculiar little issue, and I'm not 100% on the best stain removal option as I'm not certain what 'Baku-Spun,' the name of the fabric found on the tag, is technically made out of. Perhaps you have some ideas, but I'm going to leave it. Most of it is almost impossible to see until you're up very close, but there is a more obvious marking on the bottom left / front. I took a photo and circled the area. There's a few spots on the inside of the collar as well that were more noticeable, but they're concealed, obviously.
With that said, I'm going to break down every detail of Harold's bowling shirt so that you know exactly what you're purchasing:
4 Standard Buttons + 1 smaller button at the neck with a loop enclosure
Dual Pockets
Color: Orange Sherbert
Size: 15 - 15-1/2
Chain Stitching on the Chest (Harold); on the Left Shoulder (#6); and on the Rear (Chromium Mining)
And here is the information found on the tags:
The Swing Sportster by Enro
Woven of
Baku-Spun
M 15-15-1/2
Washable Use Lukewarm Suds
Press With Cool Iron On Reverse Side While Damp
Wash Separately
Finally, here are the approximate measurements:
Shoulder to Sleeve Opening: 9"
Top to Bottom: 28.5" to 30" (the rear is slightly longer)
Armpit to Armpit: 21"
Shoulder to Shoulder: 17.5"
If you have additional questions, please ask, but I think that covers it. Thanks for looking!