News from the Walpole Historical Society:

Henry Cooke of Historical Costume Services will give a presentation on the Walpole Historical Society’semarkable collection of uniforms and objects that help tell the story of the town’s martial history, with a focus on the restoration of three of its most significant pieces: the 1820 and 1830 uniform coats of the Walpole Light Infantry, and the rare 1820s coat of Capt. Lewis Fisher, who commanded the town’s “ordinary” or “enrolled” company of citizen soldiers of the militia. These three coats harken back to a time when our nation’s defense depended largely upon the efforts of local men who turned out with either the ordinary companies or were volunteers. Mr. Cooke will show before and after pictures of the garments and describe the process of how the three coats were restored to their former glory.

Henry Cooke of Randolph, is the principal of Historical Costume Services, a company devoted to the study and reproduction of historic clothing, the restoration of antique original garments, and providing consulting services to museums, historical societies and occasionally film production companies. His work combines his academic background as a professional historian with the artistry of his skills as a tailor and historical costume specialist. His work includes the restoration of original uniforms for the museum at the US Military Academy at West Point, as well as for a number of dealers and collectors of military and other historic clothing.