T-Shirt
Object number2019.105.1
Manufacturer
Fruit of the Loom
Date2001
OriginEl Salvador
MediumCotton; Polyester; Ink
Credit LineGift of Frank R. Nelson, Jr.
DescriptionGray short sleeve t-shirt. Size XXL. Crew neck. Fifty percent cotton and fifty percent polyester. Front of t-shirt has screen printed decoration.DimensionsHeight x Width (Wdith is between shoulder seams): 31.25 × 23.5 in. (79.4 × 59.7 cm)InscriptionsFront of t-shirt has a blue circle with gray text “PITTSBURGH / POLAR BEAR CLUB”; below the blue circle is black text “2001”.
MarksTwo white fabric tags inside collar at back center, top tag has text on front “FRUIT OF THE LOOM / BEST TM”; bottom tag has text on front “XXL / 50% COTTON/50% POLYESTER / MADE IN EL SALVADOR” with the same text repeated above this in Spanish and French; bottom tag’s reverse side has care instructions in English, Spanish, and French.
Historical NotesWhy do they do it? What drives members of the Polar Bear Club to plunge into freezing water in the middle of winter? For some it’s fellowship and fun. Frank Nelson took his first leap in 1966 as a 16-year-old. He walked from his home on Mount Washington on New Year’s Day, jumped in the river, swam with some like-minded “bears,” and then went home. He’s done it ever since—for more than 50 years. Every year he leads a core group that gathers on New Year’s Day to swim together. In the past decade he has seen the crowd swell and fill the Mon Wharf. Others are driven by different motives. Some see swimming as a spiritual exercise—a way to be reborn in the water on New Year’s Day. In Greek culture, the blessing of the waters takes place on Epiphany, January 6, and often includes a priest blessing a cross then casting it into the sea. The diver who recovers the cross is thought to have good fortune for the coming year. The Polar Bears sell T-shirts and put out a collection jar to raise money for charity. It seems appropriate that Project Bundle Up and the Salvation Army benefit from this event.
Previous owner
Frank R. Nelson Jr.
Related institution
Pittsburgh Polar Bear Club
On View
Not on viewFruit of the Loom
Fruit of the Loom
