Sports & Leisure - Overview
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.
"Sports & Leisure - Overview" showing 5 items.
Duncan Tournament Yo-Yo
- Description (Brief)
- This yellow, wooden "Duncan Tournament" yo-yo was made by the Duncan Toys Company frin around 1960-1965. Known as a “crossed flags” model, it is the last iteration of Duncan's "Tournament" line in wood. It is mounted on a display card featuring an image of the mascot “Mr. Yo-Yo” and the slogan “If it isn't Duncan it isn't Yo-Yo.”
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1960s
- maker
- Duncan
- ID Number
- 2002.0246.49
- accession number
- 2002.0246
- catalog number
- 2002.0246.49
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Duncan Shrieking Sonic Satellite Yo-Yo
- Description (Brief)
- This wooden yo-yo was made by the Duncan Toys Company in the 1960s. It is displayed on a white, teal, and black display card. The yo-yo has rounded sides with a red glitter and white rims. There are holes through both rims that creates a whistling sound when spun. This model was part of Duncan’s "Satellite" line, inspired by the era's space race.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1960s
- maker
- Duncan
- ID Number
- 2002.0246.50
- accession number
- 2002.0246
- catalog number
- 2002.0246.50
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Duncan Mickey Mouse Club Yo-Yo
- Description (Brief)
- This plastic yo-yo was made by the Duncan Toys Company in the 1960s. It is unopened on its original a display card reading “Duncan Official Mickey Mouse Club Yo-yo Return Top.” It has flat sides and transparent view lenses. Paper inserts feature colorful drawings of Walt Disney Company characters Mickey and Minnie Mouse. This yo-yo is one example of three Duncan Imperial Jr. models featuring Disney characters.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1960s
- maker
- Duncan
- ID Number
- 2002.0246.54
- accession number
- 2002.0246
- catalog number
- 2002.0246.54
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Duncan Mardi Gras Yo-Yo
- Description (Brief)
- This Tenite plastic yo-yo was made by the Duncan Toys Company in the 1960s. It is unopened on a display card that reads "Duncan Mardi Gras Yo-yo Return Top, no. 700." The card features an image of a man in a party hat and mask. The yo-yo has flat sides with a metal axle and an abstract white, red, black and glitter design .
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1960s
- maker
- Duncan
- ID Number
- 2002.0246.55
- accession number
- 2002.0246
- catalog number
- 2002.0246.55
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Playing cards
- Description (Brief)
- A set of playing cards, probably made of celluloid, contained in an alligator-patterned two-part faux leather case. Pockets on either side of the case contain a game marker. The markers have celluloid discs that indicate "Trump," "Games," and "Points." The cards were manufactured by W. P. Co. of Racine, Wis. They picture an avenue lined with palm trees.
- W. P. Co. was the Western Printing Company, also known as the Western Printing and Lithograph Company, the name under which it was incorporated in 1910.
- The company did a variety of commercial printing from stationery and paper goods to games, puzzles, books, and comic books. It is best known as the publisher and printer of Little Golden Books in partnership with Simon and Schuster.
- date made
- 1939
- maker
- Western Publishing Co., Inc.
- ID Number
- 2006.0098.1472
- catalog number
- 2006.0098.1472
- accession number
- 2006.0098
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center