Sunday River Patch (Black Ground) — c. 1980s

A vintage Sunday River ski patch, estimated to date from the 1980s, square with a gold merrowed border on a black ground — gold rays climbing behind a blue peak with a blue river band beneath it, sunday river in gold lowercase. Black grounds read as night skiing whether the mountain meant them to or not.

Black-ground patches read as night skiing whether the mountain meant them to or not. There is something about a sun on a black field that suggests the lights are about to come on.

The practical advantage is durability. Dark grounds hold their color while pale twill goes the shade of a tea bag.

Sunday River does run lights, which makes the reading less accidental than it looks. A black-ground patch from a mountain with night skiing is at least arguably literal.

Embroidered on twill, merrowed edge. Photos are the condition report.