{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O301410"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O301410/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2014HE9529/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2014HE9529/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2014HE9529","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2014HE9533","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2014HE9541","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O301410","accessionNumber":"T.643-1997","objectType":"T-shirt","titles":[{"title":"Fred with Tires","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"Herb Ritts's 1984 photograph 'Fred with Tires' is one of the photographer's most famous and widely recognised images. While Ritts's photographs of nude or semi-nude masculine models were highly artistic and appealed to anyone who admired them, they were especially popular with many gay and bisexual men who resonated with Ritts - himself openly gay - and his vision. London-based T-shirt brand Body Rap produced a range of T-shirts bearing Herb Ritts photographs in around 1990, of which this is one; as wel as many other shirts printed with similarly sensual photographs and images of male and female models. While shirts like this were technically unisex,wearing imagery like this would have been seen as indicating the wearer's interest in men. Body Rap also sold band shirts and shirts printed with more widely acceptable artworks and designs.\n\r\nThis shirt was part of a large collection of T-shirts collected by Richard L. Velleman who died in either 1994 or 1995, which included several shirts with LGBTQ+ and safe-sex themes, including rare London Pride shirts from 1985, alongside band shirts from Velleman's favourite rock and punk bands, others depicting skateboarding, surfing, and partying; and random amusing or funny shirts.\r\n\r\nWe do not know who Richard Velleman was or anything about him beyond that he collected and wore these shirts, many of which show clear signs of having formed part of an actively and enthusiastically worn wardrobe; and that the collection of shirts was donated to us in his memory. The choice of T-shirts is often deeply personal and subject to the wearer's individual taste, acting as a wearable billboard for their beliefs, tastes and other opinions.","physicalDescription":"Black cotton T-shirt printed with Herb Ritts photographic print surrounded by its title 'Fred With Tires' in shiny  black letters. Back printed with a white circle and text reading \"HERB RITTS PICTURE\" arranged to create an eye shape","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Herb Ritts","id":"A7908"},"association":{"text":"photographer","id":"x43821"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Body Rap","id":"AUTH407647"},"association":{"text":"designers","id":"AAT25190"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"cotton","id":"AAT14067"}],"techniques":[{"text":"printing","id":"AAT53319"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Printed cotton","categories":[{"text":"Clothing","id":"THES48975"},{"text":"Textiles","id":"THES48885"},{"text":"Fashion","id":"THES48957"},{"text":"LGBTQ","id":"THES266921"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&F","id":"THES48601"},"images":["2014HE9529","2014HE9533","2014HE9541"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"011","id":"THES306461"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"T-shirt","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"designed and made","id":"x39722"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"c.1990","earliest":"1985-01-01","latest":"1994-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""},{"date":{"text":"1984","earliest":"1984-01-01","latest":"1984-12-31"},"association":{"text":"photographed","id":"x30151"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Donated by Andrew Shanahan in memory of Richard L. Velleman","dimensions":[],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'Fred With Tires'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Printed"}],"objectHistory":"Herb Ritts's photograph, Fred with Tires, was taken in 1984 and became one of the photographer's most famous images. Ritts's photographs of masculine, nude or semi-nude models were particularly popular with gay men, and while shirts like this were technically unisex they were often worn by men wishing to signal their interest to other like-minded men. London-based T-shirt brand Body Rap produced a range of T-shirts bearing Herb Ritts photographs around 1990, of which this is one; as wel as many other shirts printed with similarly sensual photographs and images of male and female models. They also sold band shirts and shirts printed with more widely acceptable artworks and designs\n\n- Daniel Milford-Cottam, 04/04/2025","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Printed cotton T-shirt with Herb Ritts photograph 'Fred with Tires', Body Rap, London, c.1990","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["T.643-1997"],"accessionNumberNum":"643","accessionNumberPrefix":"T","accessionYear":1997,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-05-13","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-24","availableToBook":true}}