History in Objects: Raiders of the Lost Ark Crew Hat
Company Traditions Come in More Ways Than One
“History in Objects” is a continuing series exploring Lucasfilm’s legacy stretching from our founding in 1971 to today. Through objects both rare and commonplace, the company’s past, present, and future are brought to life.
Though styles come and go, some clothing traditions stay! Raiders of the Lost Ark was in production forty years ago in the summer of 1980, a time when Lucasfilm was growing, and with it, the company’s culture.
Beginning in that era, and continuing to this day, Lucasfillm has produced items of clothing made especially for onset crew and those back at Lucasfilm’s offices. It’s not a unique tradition, but a beloved one, and enjoyed by crew and employees up and down the ranks!
On Raiders of the Lost Ark, director Steven Spielberg often sported his crew cap, made in the trucker-style popular at the time. It must’ve come in handy on a shoot that involved weeks filming on the open sea, in the deserts of North Africa, and the jungles of Hawaii! Back in Northern California, employees at Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic wore the hat too, and some even adopted them as part of their uniforms in the company softball league.
Whether from a classic production like Raiders or a brand-new release, these items help represent the team effort involved in a Lucasfilm production, and the sense of camaraderie felt by those who help bring them to the screen.
Lucas O. Seastrom is a writer and historian at Lucasfilm.