Name/Title
Pair of white cotton police gloves c1965-1968Entry/Object ID
2372.1Description
Pair of white cotton gloves with elasticated wrist, in unused condition as they are still joined together with a cotton stitch.Use
For a police officer to wear when carrying out particular dutiesContext
Police officers used to be issued with white gloves as part of their uniform allowance, for two reasons. These gloves were worn for ceremonial occasions as part of a dress or "number one" uniform. They were also issued for officers to use when engaged in traffic direction or "point duty", so that their hand signals could be more clearly seen. In Brighton Police white gloves were also used for many years during the summer months to be worn in conjunction with white helmets, as standard summer dress for officers on foot patrol. Originally the gloves were made of white cotton, as here, and were replaced with nylon examples by the late 1960s.
In 1967 the memorandum produced to explain to officers the composition of the new Sussex Constabulary, states that officers were to be issued with nylon white gloves for both "point duty and ceremonial occasions".
These particular gloves, though unused were issued to an officer who served in both Brighton Borough Police and later with Sussex Constabulary/Police, and could have been issued to him either force.
By the late 1980s white gloves were no longer given to officers as standard uniform and were only issued on a as required basis, then returned once used.