Not elder law: World’s oldest blue jeans on display
The world’s oldest pair of jeans – made about 1879and now valued at $125,000 – were
displayed Saturday outside thebirthplace of the modern blue jean.
The jeans were part of atribute to Reno tailor Jacob Davis, whose 1871 idea of using rivets tostrengthen pants led to one of the world’s best known brands: Levi’sblue jeans.
The city of Reno honored Davis by placing a historical marker on Virginia Street, where his tiny shop once stood.
Theceremony was held 133 years to the day that the Jewish Latvianimmigrant and San Francisco merchant Levi Strauss were granted a patentfor the copper-riveted work pants.
Strauss’company branched out to making jeans in 1873 after Davis approached himabout the patent. Davis became head of its new jean manufacturingdivision, while Strauss, a Bavarian immigrant, continued as companyowner.
‘‘This is about as close as you can get to Jacob Davis’original jeans,” Lynn Downey, historian for Levi Strauss & Co.,said as she held up the old jeans.
‘‘It took two cities and two immigrants to produce the most American garment,” she said.
Despiteappearing well worn with a rip in the back, the denim jeans look muchthe same as today’s jeans – which still use rivets.
The pants,which rarely make it out of the archives of the San Francisco-basedcompany, were among a small collection of vintage clothing purchased byLevi Strauss in 2003.