Or The Marvelous Mr. Thimble

As part of my ongoing Templar Frock project, I’ve been looking into historical sources on coat construction. In doing so, I’ve discovered a simultaneously delightful and infuriating source. The American Tailor and Cutter published a serial that providing detailed instructions on how to make a cutaway frock coat. It was imaginatively titled “How To Make A Cutaway Frock” and written by Aitchem N. Rite.

The serial follows an experienced journeyman tailor, named Mr. Thimble, from the moment he returns to his shop after receiving the job. Mr. Thimble provides, in detail, how he goes about cutting and constructing a cutaway frock coat and all of its lining and internal structure. The presentation is delightful and the instructions are extremely thorough, making the whole serial extremely helpful.

It is also infuriating, because the serial ends abruptly.

Despite the claim, with its very first paragraph that it will “continue until he delivers it a thoroughly well-made coat,” the serial does not, in fact, take us all the way to delivery. In fact, it ends with the line “To be continued.”

It does not continue.

The first entry into the serial was published December, 1901 and the last entry in November, 1903. As you can see above, as of the final article in the series, the coat is still far from deliverable. I’ve checked as far forward as June 1906, and not found any further sign of Mr. Thimble.

Aitchem N. Rite is a mystery. I’ve not been able to find and mention of him anywhere else. He’s never mentioned again by the journal’s publishers nor have I been able to find any other records of him.

The journal’s editors clearly loved Rite’s work and his character Mr. Thimble, yet they also make no further mention of either after November 1903. Consider the comments made by the journal’s editors over the course of two years that the serial was running.

The American Tailor and Cutter for the next month will be larger, more interesting and more attractive form an art point of view than any number we have yet issued. It’s special features will be the beginning of a profusely illustrated article entitled “How to make a Cutaway Frock,” by Aitchem N. Rite […] which will be continued for more than a year, will be the most exhaustive work of the kind ever printed….

November, 1901

“How to Make a Cutaway Frock,” by Aitchem N. Rite, seems to be exactly what our readers want in both matter and method. It is, in fact, an explained series of panoramic views of the building of a coat, so full and clear that any one with even a crude knowledge of the trade can learn form it how to make a first-class job.

January, 1902

“How to Make a Cutaway Frock,” increases in interest. Our readers will be much pleased with the installment which its author, Aitchem N. Rite, gives in this number. This article is unique. Nothing of the kind ever before printed approaches it in plan, scope, clearness or availability for practical application.

February, 1902

“How to Make a Cutaway Frock,” by Aitchem N. Rite, increases in interest. The installment for this month is very instructive

March, 1902

This month’s installment of “How to Make a Cutaway Frock,” by Aitchem N. Rite, is decidedly the most interesting that has yet appeared in that serial.

April, 1902

No more interesting or valuable addition has been made to the literature of the trade for many years than Aitchem N. Rite’s serial on “How to Make a Cutaway Frock,” and no other treatment of the art of coat building has been so practical, thorough and well presented.

June, 1902

“How to Make a Cutaway Frock,” by Aitchem N. Rite is of unusual interest this month. This serial, we are much pleased to learn, is being carefully studied by a large number of our readers. It is unique and invaluable.

July, 1902

“How to Make a Cutaway Frock,” by Aitchem N. Rite, materializes this month into the shortest installment of the serial; but short as the installment is, it is very interesting and valuable.

August, 1902

“How to Make a Cutaway Frock,” by Aitchem N. Rite, shows no abatement of interest. On the contrary, the installment for this month is one of the most interesting in the serial.

May, 1903

“How to Make a Cutaway Frock” is not continued in this number, the author, Aitchem N. Rite being engaged in treating himself to a short vacation. As the drawings which go with this important serial will not materialize without a great deal of work, either they or the vacation had to side step for this month. We are sure our readers, greatly as they will miss Mr. Rites work from this number, will not begrudge him the brief rest he is taking, and will wish him an enjoyable time.

June, 1903

The serial “How to Make a Cutaway Frock” by Aitchem N. Rite increases in interest with each installment, that for this month being not only the most extended but the most interesting since the serial was begun. A special feature of this serial is that the installment for nearly every month is complete in itself as regards some particular part of coat building, which is treated with such fullness of detail that, as one of our correspondents recently said, ” the stitches can almost be seen going into the coat.” The serial is, in short, is thorough and exhaustive, both in the sketches and explanations, that nothing is left to the imagination of the reader. For this reasons, although it has been running for a long time, it will continues through many numbers of this paper before Mr. Thimble hands in the finished job.

September, 1903

Aitchem N Rite’s Mr. Thimble does some very interesting work this month on the cutaway frock he has been making for about two years. No one else ever worked on a coat before so large an audience, or explained what he was doing so clearly. Besides this, as hundreds of our readers have enthusiastically informed us, Mr. Thimble is not only an A1 coat maker, but his is a teacher of the art of coat building who has a genius for teaching

October, 1903

Why then, does it suddenly cut off only a month later? Who can say?

I really want to do something with Mr. Thimble at a future date, though I don’t quite know what that will be yet. In the meantime, I’ve compiled all the existing Mr. Thimble articles into a single free download so that anyone who wants can have a look through it. The “full” text is 73 pages long, covering up to the point where Mr. Thimble begins attaching the facing and lining.