Explore Black History

2004-2013

A black men's jacket with a neon orange painted and stenciled pattern designed by Bernard G. Jacobs and worn by Ralph Johnson, percussionist for Earth, Wind & Fire. The vintage jacket was customized by Elmer Ave. The single-breasted jacket has full-length straight cut sleeves, a wide notched collar, and closes at the center front with two (2) black plastic buttons. The collar of the jacket is faced in black velvet and lined in black felt. The lapels are edged with black woven tape. There is one (1) inset pocket at the proper left breast and two (2) diagonal welt pockets with flap closures, one at each front waist. The proper left front body of the jacket has been painted neon orange with heavier painted thick grid lines. Large black dots of the facing fabric are left exposed in four (4) places, including one obscured by the lapel. A rectangular stencil with positive text reading "Elmer / AVE / 5600" like a street sign is stenciled at the proper left breast over the pocket opening, at the center proper left front, and in a smaller version at the proper left front near the hem. Four (4) large neon orange dots are painted onto the proper right front of the breast, corresponding to the four (4) black dots on the proper left front. The street sign stencil in red paint is placed diagonally at the proper right front below the shoulder and partially obscured by the lapel, and placed upside down diagonally on the proper right front below the breast. The street sign stencil in red paint is placed upside down on the sleeves near the cuffs, with the proper left sleeve reading "Elmer" and the proper right sleeve reading "AVE / 5600". If the sleeves are placed next to each other across the front sides the full stencil is joined together. There is one (1) round black decorative button at each sleeve cuff. The back of the jacket has one vent at the center back. A design is stenciled at the center back below the shoulders featuring a white shaded background, a black triangle with blunted corners surrounding an orange triangle with sharpe corners, and a black F-clef oriented upside down. The red rectangular street sign stencil is oriented upside down over the back vent opening.
The jacket is fully lined in black synthetic fabric, with the street sign stencil in burgundy stacked three (3) times on the interior back. There is one (1) interior welted pocket at the proper right breast. Inside the pocket is text painted in white "[illegible] B.T.A." above a size tag with printed text "44L" in the bottom right corner and handwritten black ink text "NCC / 8172" in the upper left corner. Below the size tag is a United Garment Workers of America union lable.

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Clothing - Costume

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Costume Designer Bernard G. Jacobs

National Museum of African American History and Culture

2015.147.2

jackets

No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.

synthetic fiber, paint, and plastic buttons

H x W (flat): 36 3/4 × 19 1/4 in. (93.3 × 48.9 cm)

Object Name • Black jacket with custom painting worn by Ralph Johnson of Earth, Wind and Fire

nmaahc_2015.147.2

NMAAHC

BLACK JACKET WITH CUSTOM PAINTING WORN BY RALPH JOHNSON OF EARTH, WIND AND FIRE

National Museum of African American History and Culture

CC0

2010s • 2000s

Elmer Ave • Earth, Wind & Fire • Jacobs, Bernard G. • Johnson, Ralph

Design • Soul (Music) • Costume • Clothing and dress • Instrumentalists (Musicians)

No Known Copyright Restrictions