Sports & Leisure

The nation's passion for sports is obvious every day—at NASCAR races, kiddie soccer matches, and countless other contests. From a handball used by Abraham Lincoln to Chris Evert's tennis racket to a baseball signed by Jackie Robinson, the roughly 6.000 objects in the Museum's sports collections bear witness to the vital place of sports in the nation's history. Paper sports objects in the collections, such as souvenir programs and baseball cards, number in the hundreds of thousands.

Leisure collections encompass a different range of objects, including camping vehicles and gear, video games, playing cards, sportswear, exercise equipment, and Currier and Ives prints of fishing, hunting, and horseracing. Some 4,000 toys dating from the colonial period to the present are a special strength of the collections.

Baseball signed by the 1949 Cleveland Indians.
Description
Baseball signed by the 1949 Cleveland Indians. That season the Indians finished 89-65, 3rd in the American League.
Autographs include Lou Boudreau; Mickey Vernon; Early Wynn; Bob Lernon; Joe Gordon; Ken Keltner; Bob Kennedy; Larry Doby; Dale Mitchell; Jim Hegan; Ray Boone; Thurman Tucker; Bob Lemon; Bob Feller; Mike Garcia; Early Wynn; Al Benton; Gene Bearden; Steve Gromek; Satchel Paige.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1949
associated institution
Cleveland Indians
signer
Boudreau, Lou
Vernon, Mickey
Wynn, Early
Lernon, Bob
maker
A. J. Reach Co.
ID Number
CL.310547.131
catalog number
310547.131
accession number
310547
Baseball signed by the 1952 Brooklyn Dodgers.
Description (Brief)
Baseball signed by the 1952 Brooklyn Dodgers. That season the Dodgers finished 96-57, 1st in the National League, losing to the New York Yankees in the World Series 4 games to 3.
Autographs include Jackie Robinson; Carl Erskine; Billy Cox; Roy Campanella; Gil Hodges; Duke Snider; Pee Wee Reese; Carl Furillo; Andy Pafko; George Shuba; Bobby Morgan; Billy Loes; Ben Wade; Preacher Roe; Joe Black; Chris Van Cuyk; Johnny Rutherford; Clem Labine.
date made
1952
signer
Robinson, Jackie
associated institution
Brooklyn Dodgers
maker
A. J. Reach Co.
ID Number
CL.310547.154
accession number
310547
catalog number
310547.154
Baseball signed by the 1935 Washington Senators.
Description
Baseball signed by the 1935 Washington Senators. That season the Senators finished 67-86, 6th in the American League.
Autographs include Joe Kuhel; Buddy Myer; Ossie Bluege; Cecil Travis; John Stone; Jake Powell; Heinie Manush; Cliff Bolton; Red Kress; Fred Schulte; Dee Miles; Sammy Holbrook; Earl Whitehill; Bump Hadley; Bobo Newsome; Ed Linke; Jack Russell; Leon Pettit; Bucky Harris.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1935
maker
A. J. Reach Co.
ID Number
CL.310547.114
accession number
CL*310547
catalog number
CL*310547.114
Autographed baseball signed by the 1936 Chicago White Sox.
Description
Autographed baseball signed by the 1936 Chicago White Sox. That season the White Sox finished 81-70, 4th in the American League.
Autographs include Zeke Bonura; Jackie Hayes; Luke Appling; Jimmy Dykes; Mule Haas; Mike Kreevich; Rip Radcliff; Luke Sewell; Tony Piet; Larry Rosenthal; Vern Kennedy; John Whitehead; Sugar Cain; Ted Lyons; Monty Stratton; Clint Brown; Ray Phelps; Jimmy Dikes.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1936
associated institution
Chicago White Sox
maker
A. J. Reach Co.
ID Number
CL.310547.117
accession number
CL*310547
catalog number
CL*310547.117
Baseball signed by the 1949 Boston Braves.
Description
Baseball signed by the 1949 Boston Braves. That season the Braves finished 75-79, 4th in the National League.
Autographs include Johnny Sain; Warren Spahn; Elbie Fletcher; Eddie Stanky; Al Dark; Bob Elliott; Tommy Holmes; Jim Russell; Marv Rickert; Bill Salkeld; Sibby Sisti; Del Crandall; Pete Reiser; Ed Sauer; Connie Ryan; Jeff Heath; Vern Bickford; Bill Voiselle; Nels Potter; Johnny Antonelli; Bob Hall.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1949
associated institution
Milwaukee Braves
maker
A. J. Reach Co.
ID Number
CL.310547.144
accession number
310547
catalog number
310547.144
Leather baseball with blue and red stitching. Autographed in ink by the 1927 World Champion New York Yankees. In 1927 the Yankees went 109-45, beating the Pittsburgh Pirates in the World Series 4-0.
Description
Leather baseball with blue and red stitching. Autographed in ink by the 1927 World Champion New York Yankees. In 1927 the Yankees went 109-45, beating the Pittsburgh Pirates in the World Series 4-0. Ball is signed by Babe Ruth; Lou Gehrig; Joe Duga; Tony Lazzeri; Benny Bengough; Pat Collins; Julie Wera; Myles Thomas; Bob Meusel; Urban Shocker; Dutch Ruether; Joe Giard; Bob Shawkey; Wilcy Moore; Ben Paschal; mark Koenig; Ray Morehart; Cedric Durst; and Mike Gazella.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1927
depicted
Ruth, Babe
Gehrig, Lou
maker
A. J. Reach Co.
ID Number
2017.0084.03
accession number
2017.0084
catalog number
2017.0084.03
Baseball signed by the 1937 New York Yankees.
Description
Baseball signed by the 1937 New York Yankees. That season the Yankees finished 102-25, defeating the New York Giants 4 games to 1 to win the World Series.
Autographs include Joe DiMaggio; Lou Gehrig; Tony Lazzeri; Lefty Gomez; Frankie Crosetti; Red Rolfe; Myril Hoag; Jake Powell; Bill Dickey; George Selkirk; Tommy Henrich; Don Heffner; Red Ruffing; Bump Hadley; Monte Pearson; Johnny Murphy; Pat Malone; Kemp WIcker; Spud Chandler; Frank Makosky.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1937
signer
DiMaggio, Joe
Gehrig, Lou
Lazzeri, Tony
Gomez, Lefty
maker
A. J. Reach Co.
ID Number
CL.310547.123
accession number
310547
catalog number
310547.123

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