- On View
- Segregation Gallery
- Museum Maps
- Objects in this Location
- Issued by
- United States Army, American, founded 1775
- Used by
- Beasley, Louis J., American, 1907 - 2001
- Date
- 1939-1944
- Medium
- metal, velour, plastic, wood and cord
- Dimensions
- H x W x D: 15 1/2 × 18 × 7 in. (39.4 × 45.7 × 17.8 cm)
- Description
- A case (a) with removable joint (b) used to store the Chaplain's Kit used by Army Chaplain Louis J. Beasley. The case is made from black metal, with a black plastic handle and two (2) black metal clasps on the front, and is rectangular in shape. The case lid is attached to the base with hinges along the back edge. The interior of the case has two levels. The top level is a formed sheet of metal, the same material as the exterior of the case, that unfolds to serve as an altar. The altarpiece is affixed to the interior of the case by a hinge along its back edge, and cannot be removed. The altarpiece has two additional (2) retractable flaps, one hinged onto the left side and the other hinged onto the right side, which fold down to extend the altarpiece. Both the left side and the right side have a triangular piece of metal hinged to the underside, which supports each side once they are folded down. There is a cloth strap affixed to the interior of the lid that snaps to the underside of the altarpiece platform, to hold the altarpiece up when accessing the level below. Below the metal altarpiece, the bottom level is segmented into three (3) rows with compartments to hold objects to be used when performing Christan services. The rows on the left and the right are lined with blue velour fabric, and have specific divots and indentations to indicate which specific item should be stored in which place. The central row is unlined, and is not subdivided. On the outside of the case, just below the handle, painted in yellow, is [U.S.].
- Place made
- United States, North and Central America
- Classification
- Sacred and Ceremonial Objects
- Type
- communion sets
- Topic
- Catholicism
- Men
- Military
- Religion
- Segregation
- Worship services
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Louis J. Beasley Family
- Object number
- 2013.205.1.1ab
- Restrictions & Rights
- No Known Copyright Restrictions
- Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.




