{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O301444"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O301444/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2014HE0800/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2014HE0800/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2014HE0800","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2014HE0782","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2014HE0777","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2012FV6927","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2012FV6926","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O301444","accessionNumber":"T.609-1997","objectType":"T-shirt","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"This tie-dye shirt was created in Massachusetts, America by the Liquid Blue company in 1991 as band merchandise for the rock band 'The Grateful Dead' (1965-1995). The founder of Liquid Blue, Paul Roidoulis was a Deadhead (a term for the fans who followed the Grateful Dead across the country) who sold tie-dyed Grateful Dead shirts and stickers out of his car to other fans, until he formally launched Liquid Blue as a company in 1987 with Anna-Lisa Sorensen as his tie-dye designer. Almost all tie-dye designs used on Liquid Blue shirts were developed by Sorensen. The illustrations, showing skeletons on the New York subway, were created by a young illustrator and graphic designer called David Opie who had joined the company straight out of art school after his graduation in 1990. He worked with Liquid Blue until 1996, and as another fan of the Grateful Dead, created all the Liquid Blue merchandise designs for them during that period.\n\nThis shirt was part of a large collection of T-shirts collected by Richard L. Velleman, including many band shirts from his favourite rock and punk groups alongside shirts with skateboarding, surfing, partying and LGBTQ+ themes as well as 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 after he died in 1994 or 1995. 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":"Multi-coloured tie-dyed cotton T-shirt printed with 'New York City Dead' on the front, and 'Madison Square Gardens, Grateful Dead' on the back. On the front is an illustration of a New York subway train with skeletons riding on it, and on the back a line of skeletons in variously coloured peaked caps and high-top sneakers is shown marching down the subway stairs.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"David Opie","id":"AUTH412895"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Anna Lisa Sorensen","id":"AUTH412903"},"association":{"text":"dyer","id":"AAT25351"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Liquid Blue","id":"AUTH412899"},"association":{"text":"makers","id":"AAT251917"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"cotton","id":"AAT14067"}],"techniques":[{"text":"tie-dye","id":"x39712"},{"text":"printing","id":"AAT53319"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Tie-dyed and printed cotton","categories":[{"text":"Clothing","id":"THES48975"},{"text":"Textiles","id":"THES48885"},{"text":"Fashion","id":"THES48957"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&F","id":"THES48601"},"images":["2014HE0800","2014HE0782","2014HE0777","2012FV6927","2012FV6926"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"005","id":"THES309397"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"T-shirt","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"United States","id":"x29333"},"association":{"text":"designed and made","id":"x39722"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1991","earliest":"1991-01-01","latest":"1991-12-31"},"association":{"text":"designed and made","id":"x39722"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Donated by Andrew Shanahan in memory of Richard L. Velleman","dimensions":[],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'New York City Dead'","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 on the front"},{"content":"'Madison Square Gardens, Grateful Dead'","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 on the back"}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Printed cotton T-shirt, Liquid Blue, United States, 1991. Tie-dyed by Anna Lisa Sorensen and printed with artwork by David Opie for the band 'The Grateful Dead' when they performed at Madison Square Gardens.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"skeleton","id":"AAT191778"},{"text":"subway cars","id":"AAT212896"},{"text":"underground railways","id":"AAT8577"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["T.609-1997"],"accessionNumberNum":"609","accessionNumberPrefix":"T","accessionYear":1997,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-05-12","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-24","availableToBook":true}}