Mounted photographic cutout of a Bayou Classic bus: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

The cutout depicts a green tour bus in a parking lot. The bus is at a diagonal angle between white lines painted on pavement. The side of the bus features two large images of a Southern University football helmet and a Grambling State football helmet. There are also several images of several football players and a member of a marching band. There is a circular logo depicted. It is red on the top and black at the bottom. It has white text which reads [STATE FARM / BAYOU CLASSIC]. The center of the circle is white, with a blue silhouette of the state of Louisiana. There is a color illustration of the faces of a tiger and a jaguar biting the ends of a football. The tiger is on the proper right side and the jaguar is on the proper left side. There is yellow and text outlined in black in the center of the football. It reads [SINCE / 1974]. There is red text at the bottom which reads [My Bayou Classic] followed by a website. There is a black and white advertisement which reads [WE < AIDS / greaterthan.org].

The lights are turned on at the front of the bus. There is a partial street sign seen in the front window. The street sign is for Poydras Street in New Orleans. There is an image of the Southern University and Grambling State football helmets, as well as a smaller version of the circular Bayou Classic logo in the center. There are several white lines painted on different parts of the bus. There is a white mirror near the side window. The bottom of the front of the bus is black. The back of the cutout is black and has several scratches. The sides of the cutout are grey Styrofoam.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 2009-2015
• Created by: Unidentified
• Subject of: Bayou Classic, founded 1974
• Subject of: Grambling State University, American, founded 1901
• Subject of: Southern University and A&M College, American, founded 1880
• Type: memorabilia
• Type: cutouts
• Type: collectibles
• Medium: ink, paper, Styrofoam (TM), and adhesive
• Dimensions: H x W x D: 8 1/2 × 14 1/4 × 3/4 in. (21.6 × 36.2 × 1.9 cm)
• Place depicted: New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America
• Place depicted: Grambling, Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America
• Place depicted: Baton Rouge, East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America
• Place used: New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Football
• Topic: HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities)
• Topic: Sports
• Topic: Transportation
• Object number: 2015.75.16
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Dottie Belletto
• 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: Permission required for use Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.