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 84 items.
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Baseball, signed by 1984 All-Star Game Participants
- Description
- Baseball signed by participants in the 1984 Major League Baseball All-Star Game . The exhibition was held on July 10th in Candlestick Park, home of the San Francisco Giants. It was won by the National League All-Stars by a score of 3-1. The game's MVP was Montreal Expo's catcher Gary Carter. The ball was collected by American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996), who was also an avid baseball fan.
- Autographs include Al Holland; Keith Hernandez; Dwight Gooden; Bob Brenly; Tim Wallach; Charlie Lea; Rafael Ramirez; Mike Schmidt; Mario Soto; Dale Murphy; Jesse Orosco; Tim Wallach; Tim Raines; Chili Davis; Jody Davis; Tony Gwynn; Ryne Sandberg.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1984
- performing artist; recipient
- Fitzgerald, Ella
- maker
- Rawlings
- ID Number
- 1996.0342.109
- accession number
- 1996.0342
- catalog number
- 1996.0342.109
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Official Babe Ruth League Baseball
- Description (Brief)
- Babe Ruth League Baseball intended for little league play. Made by the Stall and Dean Company, Brockton, MA. Balls like this were used from the 1950s into the 1970s.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1956-1971
- maker
- Stall & Dean
- ID Number
- 1998.0324.07
- accession number
- 1998.0324
- catalog number
- 1998.0324.07
- 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
Baseball, signed by the 1952 Brooklyn Dodgers
- Description
- 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; Roy Campanella; Carl Erksine; Chuck Dressen; Ralph Branca; Gil Hodges; Joe Landrum; Johnny Rutherford; Joe Black; Ray Moore; Clyde King; Billy Cox; Duke Snider; Pee Wee Reese; Car Furillo; Rocky Bridges; Bobby Morgan; George Shuba; Warren Giles.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1952
- maker
- Spalding
- ID Number
- 2009.0243.17
- accession number
- 2009.0243
- catalog number
- 2009.0243.17
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Baseball, signed by broadcaster Red Barber
- Description
- Baseball signed by baseball broadcaster Red Barber (1908-1992). At the time, Barber was the play-by-play announcer for the Brooklyn Dodgers, for whom he worked from 1934 to 1953. Barber also served in as announcer for the Cincinnati Reds (1934-1938) and New York Yankees (1954-1966.)
- The ball is inscribed " For my Friend Ronald Gabriel, good luck, Red Barber /1/13/53."
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1953
- signer
- Barber, Red
- maker
- Spalding
- ID Number
- 2009.0243.18
- accession number
- 2009.0243
- catalog number
- 2009.0243.18
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Baseball, signed by the 1949 Washington Senators
- Description
- Autographed baseball signed by the 1949 Washington Senators. That season the Senators finished 50-104, 8th in the American League.
- Autographs include Eddie Robinson; Al Kozar; Sam Dente; Eddie Yost; Bud Stewart; Clyde Vollmer; Gil Coan; Al Evans; Sherry Robertson; Sam Mele; Buddy Lewis; Sid Hudson; Ray Scarborough; Paul Calvert; Mickey Harris; Lloyd Hittle; Joe Haynes; Dick Weik; Mickey Haefner; Joe Kuhel.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1949
- associated institution
- Washington Senators
- maker
- Harwood
- ID Number
- CL*310547.115
- accession number
- CL*310547
- catalog number
- CL*310547.115
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Baseball, signed by the 1949 St. Louis Browns
- Description
- Baseball signed by the 1949 St. Louis Browns. That season the Browns finished 53-101, 7th in the American League.
- Autographs include Zack Taylor; Roy Sievers; Jack Graham; Jerry Priddy; Eddie Pellagrini; Bob Dillinger; Dick Kokos; Stan Spence; Roy Sievers; Sherm Lollar; Paul Lehner; Les Moss; Whitey Platt; John Sullivan; Ned Garver; Bill Kennedy; Cliff Fannin; Al Papai; Joe Ostrowski; Karl Drews; Red Embree; Tom Ferrick.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1949
- associated institution
- St. Louis Browns
- maker
- Harwood
- ID Number
- CL*310547.116
- accession number
- CL*310547
- catalog number
- CL*310547.116
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Baseball, signed by the 1949 Chicago White Sox
- Description
- Baseball signed by the 1949 Chicago White Sox. That season the White Sox finished 63-91, 6th in the American League.
- Autographs include Luke Appling; Steve "Bud" Souchock; Ed Klieman; Fred Hancock; Mickey Haefner; Cass Michaels; Eddie Malone; Billy Pierce; Don Wheeler; Bob Kuzava; Floyd Baker; Howie Judson; Randy Gumpert; Marino "Chick" Pieretti; Ray Berres; Buster Mills.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1949
- associated institution
- Chicago White Sox
- maker
- Harwood
- ID Number
- CL*310547.118
- accession number
- CL*310547
- catalog number
- CL*310547.118
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Baseball, signed by the 1953 Chicago White Sox
- Description
- Autographed baseball signed by the 1953 Chicago White Sox. That season, the White Sox finished 89-65, 3rd in the American League.
- Autographs include Nelson Fox; Bob Elliott; Ferris Fain; Chico Carrasquel; Bob Elliot; Sam Mele; Jim Rivera; Minnie Minoso; Sherm Lollar; Bob Boyd; Red Wilson; Tom Wright; Billy Pierce; Virgil Trucks; Mike Fornieles; Fritz Dorish; Saul Rogovin; Sandy Consuegra; Joe Dobson; Bob Keegan.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1953
- associated institution
- Chicago White Sox
- maker
- Zacko's
- ID Number
- CL*310547.119
- accession number
- CL*310547
- catalog number
- CL*310547.119
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Baseball, signed by the 1949 Detroit Tigers
- Description
- Autographed baseball signed by the 1949 Detroit Tigers. That season the Tigers finished 87-67, 4th in the American League.
- Autographs include Johnny Groth; Paul Campbell; Neil Berry; Johnny Lipon; George Kell; Vic Wertz; Johnny Groth; Hoot Evers; Aaron Robinson; Don Kolloway; Pat Mullin; Eddie Lake; Bob Swift; Hal Newhouser; Virgil Trucks; Art Houtteman; Ted Gray; Fred Hutchinson; Dizzy Trout; Red Rolfe.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1949
- associated institution
- Detroit Tigers
- maker
- Harwood
- ID Number
- CL*310547.121
- accession number
- 310547
- catalog number
- 310547.121
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
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