Name/Title
Brighton Borough Police motorcycle gauntlets c1960sEntry/Object ID
2309Description
A pair of black leather motorcycle gauntlets with applied reflective patches, and adjustable wrist straps, with fleece material lining. Marked inside one glove in handwritten ink "47" and on a label "Waddingtons Signalite English Make Incorporating 3M "Scotchlite" Brand Reflective Fabric".Use
For use by a police officer when riding a motorcycle.Context
The first recorded use of a motorcycle by Brighton Police was in 1921, when one was used during a visit to the Town by the Prince of Wales to unveil the Indian War Memorial at Patcham (Baines 1967). However it was only in 1931 that three motorcycles were purchased for general police use (Baines 1967), two of which were used for daily motorcycle patrols throughout the 1930s. By 1956 the force had five motorcycles and that number probably grew if the Brighton Police followed the lead of other police forces at the time and invested in lightweight machines for more patrol work.
In the 1930s it was common practice for police officers on motorcycles to simply wear caps and googles. It was only after the Second World War that it became more routine for officers to wear protective helmets.
Even by the 1960s, from when these gauntlets date, motorcycle protective equipment was minimal, with officers riding large motorcycles equipped with a pretty standard uniform, with the addition of a motorcycle helmet, gauntlets and motorcycle boots. When riding lightweight machines, the only protective item would have been a specially re-enforced police helmet.
These gauntlets were used by a Brighton Borough Police sergeant, Herbert Hother, and are marked with have his number, "47", from his promotion in the mid 1960s.