The Picnic
T-Shirt
1978 (screen printing)
1978 (screen printing)
On 15 July 1978, Blackbushe aerodrome in Surrey was the location for an open-air concert, The Picnic at Blackbushe, which was attended by over 160,000 people. It was one of the largest one day concerts ever held and has become legendary amongst fans. Bob Dylan headlined, with support from Eric Clapton, Joan Armatrading, Graham Parker and the Rumour, Lake, and Merger.
With t-shirts becoming a staple fashion item for youth and rock 'n' rollers in the 1960s, promotional t-shirts printed to advertise products also became commonplace. This trend moved from the corporate arena to youth movement with the merging of rock 'n' roll, advertising and fashion into creation of the concert t-shirt, of which this is an example. Not only does it advertise a concert the wearer has been to, but concert and band t-shirts can also show the wearer's allegiance to specific musical subcultures or youth movements.
With t-shirts becoming a staple fashion item for youth and rock 'n' rollers in the 1960s, promotional t-shirts printed to advertise products also became commonplace. This trend moved from the corporate arena to youth movement with the merging of rock 'n' roll, advertising and fashion into creation of the concert t-shirt, of which this is an example. Not only does it advertise a concert the wearer has been to, but concert and band t-shirts can also show the wearer's allegiance to specific musical subcultures or youth movements.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Title | The Picnic (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Screen-printed cotton |
| Brief description | Pink short-sleeved cotton t-shirt from Blackbushe Aerodrome The Picnic festival, with an illustrated colour picture of the site and names of those appearing: Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Joan Armatrading, Graham Parker, The Rumour and Lake. |
| Physical description | Pink short-sleeved cotton t-shirt printed with background of a pink sun shooting out rays against a blue sky. There is an illustration of a biplane on the right, which has spelled out 'The Picnic' in its exhaust. A landing strip at the front disappears into the horizon, with the bands playing at the festival listed in the foreground. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Production type | Mass produced |
| Marks and inscriptions |
|
| Gallery label | 15, 16
Rock Festival T-shirts
As T-shirts became staple fashion items among the youth in the 1960s, promotional T-shirts also became commonplace. The merging of rock and roll, advertising and fashion then created concert T-shirts. Not only do these advertise a concert the wearer has been to, but they also show the fan’s allegiance to a specific musical subculture.
The Picnic at Blackbushe Aerodrome
1978
Screen print on cotton
Museum no. S.222–2008
Knebworth Festival
1978
Screen print on cotton
Museum no. S.223–2008(March 2009) |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | On 15 July 1978, Blackbushe aerodrome in Surrey was the location for an open-air concert, The Picnic at Blackbushe, which was attended by over 160,000 people. It was one of the largest one day concerts ever held and has become legendary amongst fans. Bob Dylan headlined, with support from Eric Clapton, Joan Armatrading, Graham Parker and the Rumour, Lake, and Merger. With t-shirts becoming a staple fashion item for youth and rock 'n' rollers in the 1960s, promotional t-shirts printed to advertise products also became commonplace. This trend moved from the corporate arena to youth movement with the merging of rock 'n' roll, advertising and fashion into creation of the concert t-shirt, of which this is an example. Not only does it advertise a concert the wearer has been to, but concert and band t-shirts can also show the wearer's allegiance to specific musical subcultures or youth movements. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.222-2008 |
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| Record created | September 24, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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