Button, Promotional
Object number2016.87.1
Artist
Darryl Degelman
Date1971
MediumPaper/Ink/Metal/Adhesive
Credit LineGift of Darryl Degelman
DescriptionHandmade button made for the Pittsburgh Pirates 1971 World Series Souvenir Program. Round yellow button with black printed and applied text on front and painted pink and black date on front at bottom. Blue paper circle adhered on front at top with paper cut-out of a pirate's head in three-quarter view. Back is brown cardboard with fold-out portion and metal pinback on proper right side.Dimensions0.25 x 6 in. (0.6 x 15.2 cm)InscriptionsFront has black applied text along top edge "WORLD SERIES SOUVENIR PROGRAM", black printed text at bottom center "PITTSBURGH PIRATES", and painted pink and black date at bottom "1971".
Historical Notes1971 World Series program cover button pin, donated by its creator, the donor Darryl Degelman. Degelman worked as a part-time photographer for the Pittsburgh Pirates under Public Relations Director Bill Guilfoyle and alongside Les Banos. His career roughly spanned the late 1960s to early 1980s. Degelman primarily shot candid, pregame photos principally for yearbook publication and team use. In 1971, Guilfoyle presented him with the opportunity to design the 1971 World Series program, to be sold at Pittsburgh games. He created each individual button as a unique artwork, with only a few based on modified existing buttons. The assortment was then photographed, printed as the cover, and since has become an iconic image without the story of its creation being publicized. Degelman gave away some of the buttons (to Steve Blass, Sally O'Leary, and Kevin McClatchy). This button was returned to him after Bill Guilfoyle passed away. In 1979, Degelman came up with the idea of the Pirate Parrot as a mascot, also created initial concept drawings and worked on costume design.
Previous owner
Darryl Degelman
Previous owner
Bill Guilfoyle
Related institution
Pittsburgh Pirates
(founded 1887)
Related institution
Major League Baseball
Terms
On View
On view
1971
1910
