Costume, Performance
Object number2016.5.1 a-e
Manufacturer
Caleb V. Smith & Son
Manufacturer
Reeves Co., Inc.
Manufacturer
Flying Cross
Manufacturer
Cobra Gunskin
Manufacturer
Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union
Datec. 1993
MediumCotton; Polyester; Nylon; Fabric; Metal; Enamel; Plastic; Paint; Ink; Leather
Credit LineGift of Francois Clemmons
DescriptionOfficer Clemmons costume from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood consisting of shirt, necktie, jacket, police badge, and nametag.
DimensionsHeight x Width (a): 36 × 19.5 in. (91.4 × 49.5 cm) [Width is between shoulder seams]Height x Width x Depth (b): 19.25 × 3.375 × 1 in. (48.9 × 8.6 × 2.5 cm)
Height x Width (c): 34 × 23 in. (86.4 × 58.4 cm) [Width is between shoulder seams]
Height x Width x Depth (d): 3.563 × 2.5 × 0.375 in. (9.1 × 6.4 × 1 cm)
Height x Width x Depth (e): 0.688 × 2.5 × 0.438 in. (1.7 × 6.4 × 1.1 cm)
Inscriptions(a)
One patch at top of each sleeve has yellow text "NEIGHBORHOOD / OFFICER" above and below a hand-painted scene of two houses and two trees: top text "NEIGHBORHOOD" is hand-painted and lower text "OFFICER" is embroidered.
(b)
Tie clip has shield on front with blue enamel decoration and gold text and decoration including "POLICE" at top, the Pennsylvania crest at center with surrounding gold text "COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA".
(c)
Black metal zipper down front opening and up each side, each with raised text "IDEAL" on tongue.
Exterior pockets and shoulder straps each have a gold-tone metal button with the New York seal and "1664".
One shield-shaped embroidered patch on each upper sleeve has white text "POLICE / DEPARTMENT / CITY OF NEW YORK" surrounding a New York-related symbol at center.
Orange drycleaning tag stapled inside collar at back center has black text "1 / 040".
(d)
Silver-tone metal shield with New York seal at top and text at bottom "5194 / N.Y."
Gold-tone metal nametag at bottom with text "OFFICER CLEMMONS".
(e)
Name in black on front "CLEMMONS".
Marks(a)
White fabric maker's label inside collar at back center has embroidered red and blue decoration and text on front "Flying Cross / DURO / POPLIN / 65% DACRON / POLYESTER / 35% COTTON".
Black ink stamped text above maker's label "17 5 / MADE IN U.S.A." and on the front bottom of the proper left front panel "65% POLYESTER / 35% COTTON / ITEM NO. ... / CUT NO. ... RN ... / [Union logo] / [care instructions]".
(b)
White fabric maker's label on back of necktie's front panel at center has black text "THE / Command / TIE / 100% POLYESTER MADE IN U.S.A."
(c)
White fabric maker's label on front of interior pocket on proper right front panel has blue and red text "Caleb V Smith & Son / NEW YORK - CALIFORNIA - OHIO".
White maker's label inside proper right interior pocket has black and red text "MADE EXPRESSLY FOR / NYPD / BY / Caleb V Smith & Son Inc. / NEW YORK OHIO CALIFORNIA / 8407 0506380 2X/LG / MULTI-SEASONAL JACKET"; maker's tag sewn to bottom of this label with black text "317407 / UNION MADE IN U.S.A. / ACTWU / AMALGAMATED CLOTHING & / TEXTILE WORKERS UNION".
White maker label inside jacket at proper left seam at center with black text "PROFESSIONAL / DRY CLEAN / SHELL / 2 PLY 100% TASLASIZED / SUPPLEX NYLON / LINING-100% NYLON / TAFFETA".
(d)
Maker's mark stamped into leather behind shield "COBRA / GUNSKIN".
(e)
Reverse has maker's mark in raised text along bottom "MFG. BY REEVES CO. INC., ATTLEBORO, MASS."
Historical NotesMister Rogers' Neighborhood police uniform worn by the donor during his time on the show as Officer Clemmons. Clemmons joined the show in 1968, the year it went national, and had a recurring role for the next 25 years. He is the first African-American to have a recurring role on a children’s television show. Clemmons met Rogers at Third Presbyterian Church and Fred invited him to join the show after hearing Clemmons sing in the choir. After growing up in Youngstown, Clemmons ended up in Pittsburgh because of the master’s program in music at Carnegie Mellon. Initially skeptical of playing a police officer, he was convinced by Rogers, who thought it would send a positive message to have an African American police officer during a time when there was a tense relationship between police and many African American communities.Label TextIn a now famous episode from 1969 Mister Rogers invited Officer Clemmons to soak his feet with him in a kiddie pool. François Clemmons recalled that he and Fred had many private conversations regarding racism in America. Fred, who loved to swim, had a particularly negative reaction to the segregation of public pools. Although the law stated that public pools had to be integrated, segregation still existed throughout the country. In 1993, after a 10-year absence from the show, Officer Clemmons appeared in an episode where he and Fred reenacted their famous foot dip. Continued racial strife in the United States convinced Fred that the message he and Clemmons shared in that 1969 episode desperately needed to be shared again. Clemmons wore this jacket on Episode 1663 which aired on February 24, 1993. Episodes that week featured the theme of love. While he and Fred soaked their feet, Officer Clemmons sang Many Ways to Say I Love You.
Previous owner
Francois Clemmons
(born 1945)
Related institution
New York Police Department
Related institution
Public Broadcasting Service
Related institution
WQED
On View
Not on view
