Cap, Baseball
Object number2023.3.5
Manufacturer
America's Legend
OriginUnited States of America
MediumFabric; Plastic; Paint
Credit LineGift of Anna Fedasz
DescriptionNavy blue trucker hat or netback cap. Crown is comprised of one-third solid fabric front and two-thirds mesh back. Front of crown has hand painted humorous business advertisement featuring a man kneeling on a leaning sign; white and yellow text to the viewer's left of the man; flowers flank the scene with grass along ground. Top of the hat bill has embroidered yellow leaves. Plastic adjustable tightening snapback strip on back.DimensionsHeight x Width x Depth: 5 x 8.125 x 8.875 in. (12.7 x 20.6 x 22.5 cm)InscriptionsHandpainted white and yellow text on front of crown "Knee on / SIGNS".
MarksInterior side of adjustable tightening strip has raised text "AMERICA'S / Legend / Made in U.S.A."
Historical NotesHat owned by local artist Jim Fedasz. Jim Fedasz had a neon shop on Walnut Street in McKeesport, Pennsylvania for over 50 years. He took commissions to fabricate predesigned signs for various local businesses as well as designed his own signs. Fedasz created neon artwork, wood carvings, plastic and bronze sculptures, and paintings for his own amusement, often referring to his Catholicism, animals, WWII, and the American southwest as themes. Some of his more well-known neon commissions are the “O” Original Hot Dog Shop, the green “M" on the Mellon building downtown, an American flag commissioned by Marlboro on parkway West, the McKeesport High School cafeteria and tiger mascot, and possibly the pouring ketchup neon sign that now hangs at the Heinz History Center Jim was a lifelong McKeesport resident and attended Carnegie Tech. He served in WWII and afterwards used the GI Bill to further his education at the North West School of Neon (now the Oregon Polytechnic Institute). He returned to McKeesport after school and opened his shop. Fedasz passed in 2021 at the age of 94,
Related institution
Carnegie Mellon University
Related institution
Oregon Polytechnic Institute
Related institution
Jim Fedasz Signs
Previous owner
Jim Fedasz
(died 2021)
Terms
On View
Not on view
American Screen Printing & Advertising
1973-2001
