Vintage Nantucket T-shirts

Here’s an oral/visual tidbit, a bit of Nantucket history, and a challenge to readers. This feature is edited by Bo Overlock, a long time ‘Sconset resident, friend, and a collector of pop culture artifacts. Over to you Bo.

T-shirts have become America’s mobile billboards. They confirm where we travel, what rock bands we like, our politics, and where our children go to college. T-shirts are common now, but we want to show here shirts made before 1980. Many of these shirts are fun, simple, and made in limited numbers - sometimes as few as 2 dozen. They speak to friendship, small businesses, and your builder who cared enough to show up to do the work and drove with you to Marine Lumber to get supplies.

The challenge? You must have some great t-shirts in the bottom of your drawers. They may be worn out, or spattered with paint, but each is a great starting point for memories and stories. Take a picture of your not later than the 80’s shirt, add some comments . . . then send to the newsletter. It will be featured in an upcoming edition.