Shirt worn by Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon Northup in the film 12 Years a Slave: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This white shirt was worn by Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon Northup in the film 12 Years a Slave (2013). The shirt is made from a synthetic and cotton blend, or all synthetic light-weight white cloth. It has been artificially distressed and stained with dirt, foodstuffs, and other elements so that it appears dingy and old. The shirt has an open neck front with a standard collar, the neck fastening with three (3) self-fabric covered round buttons above a pleated front panel. The full-length sleeves are blousy, with pleats at the shoulder seams and the fitted cuff seams. Each cuff closes with one (1) self-fabric covered round button. There are side vents at each waist. The back of the shirt is pleated along the top where the neck meets the collar. The shirt is machine-sewn with serged finishes on the seams. It is not lined and there are no labels in the shirt.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 2013
• Designed by: Patricia Norris, American, 1931 - 2015
• Worn by: Chiwetel Ejiofor, British, born 1977
• Created by: Western Costume Company, American, founded 1912
• Subject of: Solomon Northup, American, 1808 - 1875
• Type: shirts
• Medium: synthetic fiber and cotton blend cloth
• Dimensions: H x W x D (On form): 34 × 23 × 14 in. (86.4 × 58.4 × 35.6 cm)
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Actors
• Topic: Clothing and dress
• Topic: Costume
• Topic: Costume design
• Topic: Design
• Topic: Film
• Topic: Men
• Object number: 2015.158.2.2
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift from the Western Costume Company
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: No Known Copyright Restrictions Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.