Bowling for Food
Gay King arrived last week with several mementos from her father’s, Mr. C. T. Bennet’s, collection. From his earliest childhood christening gown to his foot locker filled with dress uniforms, Mr. Bennet’s life is spelled out in his clothing.
This particular artifact is a bowling shirt made of fine Egyptian cotton. The black collar and piping on the sleeves and breast pocket accent the striking white shirt. Embroidered over the breast pocket is “Bennet” in cursive.
The reverse of the bowling shirt is spectacular. Bold black stripes peek out beneath stitching on either side, and the bowling team sponsor’s name is emblazoned across the back:
Serving You Good Foods
Our Specialty
Lesters Café
153 Broad St.
While Lesters Café proved to be a short-lived enterprise, the button-down bowling shirt is in impeccable shape and is destined to appear in the exhibit OIRM and the Smithsonian Institution are presenting called “A Taste of Community”. This exhibit will begin January 2024 and concludes 18 months later in July 2025. Come visit the exhibit and see how your community relates to food!
We are looking for great artifacts such as this shirt to display during the exhibit. If you have anything from the size of a matchbook to a 1940s stove, we would love to borrow it for a few years. We are accepting pictures and stories as well, and we can scan the pictures while you wait so you can take them back home. Our goal is to have as many voices as possible present in this exhibit – it truly is YOUR exhibit!
