It’s in the jeans – Iconic pants mined from rich seam of racism

When a pair of filthy old Levi’s blue jeans dating back to the 1880s was found in an abandoned mine in the former Wild West by self-described “denim archaeologist” Michael Harris, he knew immediately they were something special.

The vintage pants were sold at Durango Vintage Festivus, a four-day celebration of denim on the outskirts of Aztec, N.M. for $87,400 (3.3 million baht), despite the racists message woven into the fabric of society as represented in the most iconic apparel of the Old West.

The jeans, which feature a buckle-back adjuster along the seat, were purchased by Kyle Hautner and Zip Stevenson. Stevenson owns and operates the Denim Doctors repair shop in Los Angeles.

Stevenson said the pants were a very rare discovery indeed…

“These jeans are extremely rare — especially in this fantastic worn condition and size.”

Stevenson, said Harris…

“has looked in at least 50 abandoned mines for five years and has not found a pair of equal quality.”

He said only a couple of other pairs of Levi’s from the same period are known to exist. All of them are on display in museums and not in wearable condition. Stevenson said that the auctioned pair, by contrast, could be worn with only a few minor repairs…

“There’s a couple of soft spots on the jeans that could use a bit of reinforcement but otherwise they’re super-duper solid jeans.”

In 1848, the discovery of gold deposits in California sparked the legendary Gold Rush that saw thousands travel across the continent in the hope of striking it rich. Most never did and many died trying. The mines closed in 1896 when prices dropped dramatically.

Now some enterprising individuals are excavating the entrances of old silver mines in California, Nevada and Arizona but they aren’t looking for precious metals. They are digging for vintage jeans.

Harris previously sold a pair of jeans for US$30,000 and recently received an offer of US$100,000. These, of course, aren’t any ordinary jeans. They’re vintage Levi’s that harken back to a bygone age when things were oh-so simple. A label inside the jeans proudly boasts…

“The only kind made by white labor.”

The slogan was adopted by Live-Strauss after the passing of the monstrous Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which barred Chinese workers from entering the United States.

A Levi’s representative said the slogan and the company’s policy of not hiring Chinese immigrants, were both ditched in the 1890s.

The jeans are now in a safety deposit box near Denim Doctors and can be viewed by appointment. Stevenson said he is hoping to sell the pants to a museum for public display.