Name/Title
Leather police belt with snake's head style clasp c1930Entry/Object ID
1269Description
Broad (approx. 2 inches) black leather adjustable belt with chrome plated clasp in the form of snakes' heads, and chrome plated buckleUse
Used as a uniform belt over a tunic or overcoat.Context
This type of belt, though not exclusively used by police, is of a generic type issued to police officers throughout the 19th century. Belts were first introduced when police forces abandoned the tail coat in favour of a tunic in the 1850's. They smartened the appearance of the long tunics then worn and were used to hang leather truncheon holders, occasionally small swords and at night oil lanterns. When used at night they would often have leather guards attached to prevent the oil lamps from burning or staining the uniform.
This particular belt has a chrome clasp and fittings, not nickel silver ones, suggesting it is of post 1920s manufacture. Earlier examples would more likely have been made of nickel silver. It cannot be definitely attributed to any of the Sussex forces.
These belts were a cheaper alternative to more elaborate belts, that some police forces used, the clasps of which were adorned with police force names and coats of arms or crests. The use of belts declined in the 1920's, and they were often only used for ceremonial occasions. Though it is known that some police forces retained them for night use until the 1960's, presumably to hang battery powered lamps that replaced oil lanterns in the 1920's. Belts like this were still used with ceremonial "No.1" uniforms (items 602 and 1156) in the Metropolitan Police until c1970.
Photographs show that many of the Sussex police forces issued elaborate belts in the 19th and early 20th centuries, sometimes supplementing their use with plain examples like this one. East Sussex Constabulary however appears to have only used these simple generic belts until they abandoned belts altogether in 1921.