This cumbersome yellow suit is an oilskin – a garment made waterproof by painting it with linseed oil – produced in the 1950s by Helly Hansen. The company was founded in Moss in 1877.
Clothing for fishermen and working people
The oilskin is a type of rain gear that was made in Norway from the late 19th century until the mid 20th century. It is a cotton garment impregnated with linseed oil to keep the wearer dry. They kept the rain out superbly, but could not breathe like modern rain gear, so they became very sweaty and damp inside. To begin with, oilskins were primarily worn by people who worked at sea.
Rain gear for leisure use
Later, such rain gear became a natural part of the outdoor leisure scene, and even became fashionable. The owner of this oilskin wore it when out sailing his boat near his cabin in the inner Oslofjord. It was purchased in the 1950s and used until the 1970s. What would it have been like to wear this oilskin all day out on the fjord?
Chosen by Lars, History student (24)
Artefact nos. NF.2002-0229 and NF.2002-0234, on loan from the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History