Duster, about 1915

The material does not feel as if it is all wool--perhaps wool and cotton or wool and linen. Worn by Willis C. Ward, it is typical in the styling of men's driving dusters. The material, however, is uncommon, as most dusters were generally linen. Willis C. Ward was born in 1861 to one of Michigan's wealthest families of the 19th century. His father David Ward, made his fortune in lumber and acquired and sold timbered land throughout the United States.