Sports & Leisure

Tennis Racket

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.

Date: 1960s

Surfboard shaped by Craig Stecyk at Dave Sweet's Surfboards, Santa Monica, 1966

This is a single glassed, lightweight surfboard with a single fin, and two fin boxes. According to the donor, Craig Stecyk, "the board was shaped by me in December of 1966.
Description (Brief)
This is a single glassed, lightweight surfboard with a single fin, and two fin boxes. According to the donor, Craig Stecyk, "the board was shaped by me in December of 1966. It was manufactured by Dave Sweet Surfboards, Santa Monica, CA (Sweet pictured here holding a board similar to the one donated by Stecyk). It was single glassed (less fiberglass than usual) to promote lightweight and flexibility (ditto for lack of a central strip). The fin is a Reynolds Yater #2 design from the Tom Morey Finworks. It is polypropylene in construction. The board features a stepped deck (for better sensitivity and control when riding on its front third). It has two fin boxes allowing for repositioning of the fin. (This will change the riding characteristics of the board. The center position is "normal". The outside position is the variable position). The bottom color design was also done by me and is typical of the "plastic fantastic" period. This board is entirely created from plastic materials and is a typical "stringerless" surfboard from 1966-1967. A stringer is slang for the wood center strip common to most surfboards." Stecyk is another eccentric character that lives in the surf and skate world. He is one of the people responsible for the creation of the Zephyr Surf team and the Z-Boys skate team and for bringing surf and skate art to the forefront of that distinctive culture. Stecyk was a writer for “Skateboarder Magazine” during its resurgence in the mid-1970s and spread the word about these growing sports throughout the globe providing his distinctive insight and first person narrative. Stecyk continues to practice his craft as a multimedia artist and still has a direct impact on the graffiti and street art cultures he helped create.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1966
maker
Stecyk, Craig R.
ID Number
1988.0256.01
accession number
1988.0256
catalog number
1988.0256.01

New clipping featuring an article about director Bruce Brown

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1964
featured
Brown, Bruce
ID Number
2017.0053.05
accession number
2017.0053
catalog number
2017.0053.05

Petersen's Surfing Yearbook Number Two, 1965

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1965
ID Number
2017.3021.101
nonaccession number
2017.3021
catalog number
2017.3021.101

Outsoles made from the Vans, Inc. manufacturing mold

A pair of outsoles made from the Vans, Inc. manufacturing mold are a dark tan, made of rubber and are shaped like the sole of a shoe. This is the product of the Vans, Inc. waffle pattern mold.
Description (Brief)
A pair of outsoles made from the Vans, Inc. manufacturing mold are a dark tan, made of rubber and are shaped like the sole of a shoe. This is the product of the Vans, Inc. waffle pattern mold. These are marked, "68M-wide [/] MS9E FS [/] WS 10.5 E." Paul and Jim Van Doren, along with partners Gordon Lee and Serge Delia opened the Van Doren Rubber Company in 1966, manufacturing shoes and selling them directly to the public. Vans uses a vulcanized shoe making process where the rubber outsoles are heated and stretched onto the “lasted upper” of the shoe before the rubber is completely cured. The entire shoe is then heated to over 300 degrees. This process creates a ‘sticky’ sole popular with skaters for ensuring a good contact surface with their board. Using pro skaters to design their shoes, producing pro skater models and creating the trademark “sidestripe” recognizable around the world, Vans became the shoe of choice for a generation of skaters and grew into an international enterprise in just 50 years.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1968
ID Number
2016.0351.02
catalog number
2016.0351.02
accession number
2016.0351

Royal Thunderbird Yo-Yo

This wooden "Thunderbird" model yo-yo was made by the Royal Tops Manufacturing Company in 1962. It features Royal's crown and chevron logo.
Description (Brief)
This wooden "Thunderbird" model yo-yo was made by the Royal Tops Manufacturing Company in 1962. It features Royal's crown and chevron logo. The yo-yo is in a blister pack that reads “Precision designed by the original Filipino yo-yo experts to rigid tournament specifications,” and “Be a Champion…and win a Prize!” Eight different tricks are listed on the back of the card.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1962
maker
Royal Tops Manufacturing Co.
ID Number
2007.0158.01
accession number
2007.0158
catalog number
2007.0158.01

Makaha skateboard used by Jim Fitzpatrick in 1964

Makaha skateboard used by Jim Fitzpatrick in 1964 after he returned from a tour of a dozen European countries where he skateboarded as often as he could. Fitzpatrick was recruited by Makaha founder Larry Stevenson, for the Makaha Skateboard Exhibition Team at 14.
Description (Brief)
Makaha skateboard used by Jim Fitzpatrick in 1964 after he returned from a tour of a dozen European countries where he skateboarded as often as he could. Fitzpatrick was recruited by Makaha founder Larry Stevenson, for the Makaha Skateboard Exhibition Team at 14. According to the donor, Larry Stevenson developed Makaha Skateboards in the early 1960s in Santa Monica, California producing the first "high performance" skateboard in 1962. Stevenson would ask the skateboarders, such as Fitzpatrick, what they thought of the boards, how did they ride, how could they be improved - he listened and developed the best board at the time. In addition to Fitzpatrick’s unique trek to Europe, the Makaha team skateboarders traveled together and individually throughout Southern California, and even to Hawaii on one memorable trip, introducing spectators to skateboarding.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1964
user
Fitzpatrick, James
ID Number
2018.0269.01
accession number
2018.0269
catalog number
2018.0269.01

President John F. Kennedy in stands

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1962-04-09
depicted (sitter)
Kennedy, John F.
maker
Regan, Ken
ID Number
2017.0104.0007
accession number
2017.0104
catalog number
2017.0104.0007

Saucer

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1923
date used
1936 to 1960s
maker
Beetleware Corporation
ID Number
1984.0331.03
accession number
1984.0331
catalog number
1984.0331.03

Brawner-Ford 'Hawk' racing car

After earning his reputation as one of American open wheel racing’s best designers and mechanics during the front engine roadster era of Indy cars, Clint Brawner developed his first rear engine racer, the Brawner Hawk, in 1965.
Description
After earning his reputation as one of American open wheel racing’s best designers and mechanics during the front engine roadster era of Indy cars, Clint Brawner developed his first rear engine racer, the Brawner Hawk, in 1965. Several iterations of Brawner’s Hawks competed between 1965 and 1969. These speedsters not only were on the cutting edge of engine design and aerodynamics, but they also launched the career of racing legend Mario Andretti with five years of success behind the wheel of Hawks. Andretti drove a Hawk to a third place finish in the Indianapolis 500 with Rookie of the Year honors and continued to claim the 1965 USAC National Championship. The following year Andretti drove a Brawner Hawk to his second consecutive USAC National Championship. When Brawner’s Hawks were retired from competition at the end of the 1969 season, Andretti had driven a Hawk to his first Indianapolis 500 victory and a third USAC National Championship. At the 1969 Indianapolis 500, the STP Hawk No. 2 was designated as Andretti’s backup car, but when faulty hubs led him to crash his four-wheel-drive Lotus Super Wedge, his crew prepared the car that would be dubbed “The Cinderella Car” to race. Andretti took an early lead but soon fell back because the car was running hot. He drove on to lead 116 out of 200 laps, including the all-important last lap, and took the checkered flag. Andretti finished out the season driving the Hawk No. 2 and claimed the third of his four USAC National Championships. The STP Hawk No. 2 represents Mario Andretti’s only official Indy 500 win, STP CEO Andy Granatelli’s first Indy 500 win, and the mechanical tradition of innovation and excellence of the car’s creator, Clint Brawner. Most of the Indy cars had sleek, cigar-shaped bodies while the Brawner Hawk had a larger body with a flat bottom and the oil tank in front with the oil tubes running down the sides along the bottom, all of which created downforce. The STP Hawk No. 2 is one of the most iconic and significant cars in auto racing history. It represents cutting edge aerodynamics, innovative rear engine design, and the mechanical legacy of Clint Brawner.
Location
Currently on loan
date made
1968
maker
Ford Motor Company
Clint Brawner
Garrett Corp.
ID Number
TR.336463
accession number
1978.0418
catalog number
336463

SAMCO Italian Coca-Cola Yo-Yo

This plastic yo-yo was made by SAMCO in the early 1960s. SAMCO, an Italian company, made this yo-yo to promote Coca-Cola brand soda. The yo-yo has rounded sides and a red, white and yellow design depicting a boy pointing to a Coca-Cola bottle.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
This plastic yo-yo was made by SAMCO in the early 1960s. SAMCO, an Italian company, made this yo-yo to promote Coca-Cola brand soda. The yo-yo has rounded sides and a red, white and yellow design depicting a boy pointing to a Coca-Cola bottle.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1960-1965
maker
Duncan
SAMCO
ID Number
2002.0246.35
accession number
2002.0246
catalog number
2002.0246.35

Recreation for the Mentally Retarded: What You Should Know: What You Can Do

Recreation for the Mentally Retarded: What You Should Know: What You Can Do is one of the pamphlets given to the camp counselors at Camp Shriver in 1965 and one of many developed in the 1960s as a heightened public awareness of the mentally disabled was occurring.From its beginni
Description (Brief)
Recreation for the Mentally Retarded: What You Should Know: What You Can Do is one of the pamphlets given to the camp counselors at Camp Shriver in 1965 and one of many developed in the 1960s as a heightened public awareness of the mentally disabled was occurring.
From its beginnings as Camp Shriver in Eunice Kennedy Shriver’s backyard, to the first international games in 1968, Special Olympics has been about giving people with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to participate in sport. This participation builds confidence, provides emotional support and offers social opportunities for the athletes and their families. With state chapters and a global presence through its World Games, “Special Olympics is the largest sports organization for people with intellectual disabilities with 5 million athletes in 170 countries worldwide.”
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1965
ID Number
2017.0331.02
accession number
2017.0331
catalog number
2017.0331.02

Duncan Shrieking Sonic Satellite Yo-Yo

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.
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

Business card of Bruce Brown, director of the movie, "The Endless Summer" released in 1966

This is a business card for Bruce Brown, an early pioneer in the surf film genre and director of the movie, The Endless Summer released in 1966. Bruce Brown is a California native who began surfing when he was 9.
Description
This is a business card for Bruce Brown, an early pioneer in the surf film genre and director of the movie, The Endless Summer released in 1966. Bruce Brown is a California native who began surfing when he was 9. He produced his first film in 1955 while stationed aboard a Navy submarine in Hawaii but it wasn’t for another two years that he really got his start. Dale Velzy, a surfboard shaper and entrepreneur gave Brown a new 16 mm movie camera and paid his way to Hawaii where Brown made Slippery When Wet. This first film had the smooth music and casual and relaxed narration which Brown’s films are known. Two more movies followed in the same vain as the first but in 1961 Brown’s movie, focused on surfer Phil Edwards. Surfing Hollow Days featured the first filmed ride at Pipeline, a famous surfing spot on the North Shore of Hawaii. He put together a compilation film, Waterlogged, for release in 1963 since he was traveling the globe with two actors filming what would become the most iconic surf movie of all time. The Endless Summer movie was written, produced and directed by Bruce Brown. Brown also served as the narrator of this surf ‘diary’ following two young surfers for one summer, around the globe, in search of the “perfect wave.” It was in limited release in 1964 and released worldwide in 1966 grossing $5 million domestically and over $20 million worldwide. Its simplicity was part of its enduring appeal and while naïve and corny to today’s audiences it was an integral part of surf history.The Endless Summer introduced the world to surfing, a nation of bored teens to the idea of travel and created a popularity of surf culture that endures today.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1960s
ID Number
2015.3122.06
nonaccession number
2015.3122
catalog number
2015.3122.06

The Mongoloid Baby

The Mongoloid Baby is one of the pamphlets given to the camp counselors at Camp Shriver in 1965 and one of many developed in the 1960s as a heightened public awareness of the mentally disabled was occurring.From its beginnings as Camp Shriver in Eunice Kennedy Shriver’s backyard,
Description (Brief)
The Mongoloid Baby is one of the pamphlets given to the camp counselors at Camp Shriver in 1965 and one of many developed in the 1960s as a heightened public awareness of the mentally disabled was occurring.
From its beginnings as Camp Shriver in Eunice Kennedy Shriver’s backyard, to the first international games in 1968, Special Olympics has been about giving people with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to participate in sport. This participation builds confidence, provides emotional support and offers social opportunities for the athletes and their families. With state chapters and a global presence through its World Games, “Special Olympics is the largest sports organization for people with intellectual disabilities with 5 million athletes in 170 countries worldwide.”
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1965
ID Number
2017.0331.05
accession number
2017.0331
catalog number
2017.0331.05

Parade shoes worn by swimmer Jane Swagerty (Hill) at the 1968 Mexico City Summer Olympics

Parade shoes worn by swimmer Jane Swagerty (Hill) at the 1968 Mexico City Summer Olympics are blue patent leather with plastic buckles and silver colored, metal Olympic rings in the center.
Description (Brief)
Parade shoes worn by swimmer Jane Swagerty (Hill) at the 1968 Mexico City Summer Olympics are blue patent leather with plastic buckles and silver colored, metal Olympic rings in the center. These shoes were worn during the opening ceremonies of the Games with a white purse and a red, white and blue dress. Hill won bronze in the 100 meter backstroke and swam in the preliminary heats for the 100 meter medley relay.
The 1968 Summer Olympic Games, also known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad were held in Mexico City, Mexico with 110 countries and 4,735 men and 781 women athletes participating. These were also the first to be held in Latin America and the first in a Spanish speaking country. The 1968 US Olympic track and field team was one of the most successful track teams’ winning twenty-four medals, including twelve gold. The high altitude of Mexico City was attributed to many of the records broken in the short distance races although those in the endurance races suffered from the lack of oxygen. These games also introduced the world to the Fosbury flop as Dick Fosbury won the gold with a new backward approach to the high jump, 16-year-old Debbie Meyer became the first US woman to win three individual golds in swimming and newcomer, George Foreman won gold in boxing. These Games were the first to subject athletes to drug testing which led to the first disqualification of an athlete after drinking a beer before his pentathlon competition. The politically charged atmosphere around the globe that year also contributed to controversy on the medal podium when two African-American athletes held black gloved hands high and bowed their heads during the National Anthem in response to the civil rights protests prevalent in the United States. The US won the medal count with 107.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1968
user
Swagerty, Jane
ID Number
2018.0106.04
accession number
2018.0106
catalog number
2018.0106.04

Plate

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1923
patent date
1923-06-12
date used
1936 to 1960s
maker
Beetleware Corporation
ID Number
1984.0331.02
accession number
1984.0331
catalog number
1984.0331.02

Dish

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1923
date used
1936 to 1960s
maker
Beetleware Corporation
ID Number
1984.0331.10
accession number
1984.0331
catalog number
1984.0331.10

Beach towel used by swimmer Victoria King at the 1968 Mexico City Summer Olympics

Beach towel used by swimmer Victoria King at the 1968 Mexico City Summer Olympics is white terry cloth.
Description (Brief)
Beach towel used by swimmer Victoria King at the 1968 Mexico City Summer Olympics is white terry cloth. At 15, Victoria King, the youngest member of USA Swimming at the 1968 Mexico City Games, was an alternate for the 800 and 400 m freestyles and the relays.
The 1968 Summer Olympic Games, also known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad were held in Mexico City, Mexico with 110 countries and 4,735 men and 781 women athletes participating. These were also the first to be held in Latin America and the first in a Spanish speaking country. The 1968 US Olympic track and field team was one of the most successful track teams’ winning twenty-four medals, including twelve gold. The high altitude of Mexico City was attributed to many of the records broken in the short distance races although those in the endurance races suffered from the lack of oxygen. These games also introduced the world to the Fosbury flop as Dick Fosbury won the gold with a new backward approach to the high jump, 16-year-old Debbie Meyer became the first US woman to win three individual golds in swimming and newcomer, George Foreman won gold in boxing. These Games were the first to subject athletes to drug testing which led to the first disqualification of an athlete after drinking a beer before his pentathlon competition. The politically charged atmosphere around the globe that year also contributed to controversy on the medal podium when two African-American athletes held black gloved hands high and bowed their heads during the National Anthem in response to the civil rights protests prevalent in the United States. The US won the medal count with 107.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1968
user
King, Victoria
ID Number
2018.0081.04
accession number
2018.0081
catalog number
2018.0081.04

Duncan Imperial Yo-Yo

This plastic Duncan Imperial yo-yo was made in the early 1960s. It has a marbled design hot-stamped with a fleur-de-lis.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
This plastic Duncan Imperial yo-yo was made in the early 1960s. It has a marbled design hot-stamped with a fleur-de-lis.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1960s
maker
Duncan
ID Number
2002.0246.29
accession number
2002.0246
catalog number
2002.0246.29

Attendee list for the Kennedy Foundation dinner, 1964

Attendee list for the Kennedy Foundation dinner of 1964 given to Ann Hammerbacher (Buell) while attending the dinner. The Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation is a non profit organization founded in 1946 by Ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. in memory of his son Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.
Description (Brief)
Attendee list for the Kennedy Foundation dinner of 1964 given to Ann Hammerbacher (Buell) while attending the dinner. The Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation is a non profit organization founded in 1946 by Ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. in memory of his son Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. The mission of the Kennedy Foundation is "to provide leadership in the field of mental retardation and service to persons with mental retardation, both those born and unborn, and their families."
Camp Shriver began in Eunice Shriver’s backyard at her Timberlawn estate in 1962. Shriver, the sister of President John F. Kennedy and Rose, an intellectually disabled sister, decided to hold a day camp for intellectually disabled kids from DC and Maryland. The high school age counselors were taught how to teach the campers different skills through play and introduced them to horseback riding, swimming, canoeing and group games, many of the campers experiencing these activities for the first time. Camp Shriver continued each summer until 1968 when the first Special Olympics Games were held in Chicago which has grown into the largest organization for intellectually disabled athletes in the world. Ann Hammerbacher (Buell) applied to be a volunteer at the camp through her parochial high school and worked there from 1962-1967.
From its beginnings as Camp Shriver in Eunice Kennedy Shriver’s backyard, to the first international games in 1968, Special Olympics has been about giving people with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to participate in sport. This participation builds confidence, provides emotional support and offers social opportunities for the athletes and their families. With state chapters and a global presence through its World Games, “Special Olympics is the largest sports organization for people with intellectual disabilities with 5 million athletes in 170 countries worldwide.”
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1964
user
Buell, Ann
ID Number
2017.0242.06
accession number
2017.0242
catalog number
2017.0242.06

Daily News Vol. 46. No. 207

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1965-02-22
graphic artist
News Syndicate Co., Inc.
ID Number
2012.3028.01
accession number
2012.3028

Movie flyer for the surf movie "Have Board Will Travel"

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1963
ID Number
2017.0053.02
accession number
2017.0053
catalog number
2017.0053.02

Program from the movie, "The Endless Summer" released in 1966

This program is for an early screening for the movie The Endless Summer. The movie was written, produced and directed by Bruce Brown.
Description
This program is for an early screening for the movie The Endless Summer. The movie was written, produced and directed by Bruce Brown. Brown also served as the narrator of this surf ‘diary’ following two young surfers for one summer, around the globe, in search of the “perfect wave.” It was in limited release in 1964 and released worldwide in 1966 grossing $5 million domestically and over $20 million worldwide. Its simplicity was part of its enduring appeal and while naïve and corny to today’s audiences it was an integral part of surf history. The Endless Summer introduced the world to surfing, a nation of bored teens to the idea of travel and created a popularity of surf culture that endures today.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1966
ID Number
2015.3122.01
nonaccession number
2015.3122
catalog number
2015.3122.01

Goofy Foot Skateboard

The ‘Goofy Foot Sidewalk Surfer’ from NASH, shown here, was one of the original, mass produced skateboards of the late 1960s. This was sold in toy stores and marketed to kids as a toy.
Description (Brief)
The ‘Goofy Foot Sidewalk Surfer’ from NASH, shown here, was one of the original, mass produced skateboards of the late 1960s. This was sold in toy stores and marketed to kids as a toy. The plastic wheels and metal ball bearings made riding dangerous and only the skilled rider could perform tricks or rode downhill with any success. It wasn't until 1970 with the introduction of the urethane wheel by Frank Nasworthy, that skateboarding became a legitimate competition sport. The urethane wheel provided a smooth ride and enabled skaters to go faster and maneuver the skateboard in ways they couldn’t with the cumbersome metal, clay or plastic wheel.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1960 - 1969
maker
Nash
ID Number
1992.0116.01
catalog number
1992.0116.01
accession number
1992.0116

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