Black Market Records. Embroidered wool and leather baseball jacket, sold in London, 1989.

Black wool and leather baseball jacket, press studs down front, quilted lining, The jacket with a thick wool body with leather sleeves and yoke, leather welted pockets, ribbed cotton elastic at wrists and hem. Silver embroidery on breast of a star in a circle, back of jacket embroidred with the star logo above the words "BLACK MARKET LONDON" intersected by horizontal lines. Strip of black leather applied along bottom of the back of the jacket between embroidery and ribbing.

Damage to the interior pockets show that the padding of the jacket is made from recycled/reused fibre waste.

Given by Joel Karamath

The black wool baseball jacket is embroidered on the back with "Black Market Records." This record shop in Soho opened in 1988 as a venue selling rare and hard to find records and Black music, and became an important assembly point for London's Black youth. Although the Soho shop closed down in 2015, it is still regarded as an important piece of Black British musical history. Black Market Records still maintain a website. This jacket was originally produced for the shop staff, before being offered for sale for £150 each. These garments rapidly sold out despite their expense, and have become highly desirable collector's items. This jacket from 1989 is a very rare and early piece.

- Daniel Milford-Cottam, 26/07/2016

T.92-2016