Cold War ‘Fashion’: US Air Force Neck Scarf in Pilot’s Survival Gear

Double-sided map contains navigational information

Even without “USSR” printed on it, it’s obvious that this map wasn’t manufactured yesterday. A bomber pilot would wear it in the event he had to bail out. Advantages of printing the map on fabric instead of paper include: It won’t tear easily; it can be opened in cold temperatures; and it can be used even when wet. This scarf hasn’t been used for anything so practical (or sneaky) in decades. Instead, it spends its time artfully arranged near a chunk of the Berlin Wall encased in Lucite. While neither artifact is particularly collectible, they’re tiny pieces of history: preserved but not forgotten.

United States Air Force, 3' x 3', imitation silk, 1951, Lithography.

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