This folding comb was recovered at Fredericksburg and is made of two pieces hinged at one end so that when closed it would be easier to store and each section would somewhat protect the teeth of the other. One is literally a fine-tooth comb, perhaps for use on beards and mustaches. On the other the teeth are stouter and spaced farther apart. Vulcanized India-rubber and gutta-percha were used to manufacture a plethora of items that were quite the novelty and all the rage in the 1850s and early 1860s, with India-rubber eventually outpacing its rival. See Mike Woshner’s wonderful book, India-Rubber and Gutta-Percha in the Civil War Era for information on the methods of production, the wide variety of goods using it, marketing, use by soldiers and others, etc. It was used to make a variety of combs, some marked by the maker and some unmarked, like this one, possibly to avoid lawsuits by patent holders. This is in good condition, missing two sections of the fine teeth as shown, but with the hinge still intact, good color, and solid, and was recovered at Fredericksburg, with just the metal pivot showing some rust. It would make a nice addition to a display of camp or personal items carried by a soldier or officer. We show part of an 1850s advertisement picturing hard rubber and gutta-percha combs, one of which seems to be a similar folding version.  [sr][ph:L]

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