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.

The Nintendo Game Boy was released in 1989.
Description
The Nintendo Game Boy was released in 1989. It was a handheld video game console that combined aspects of Nintendo's successful Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) television video game console with their earlier handheld electronic games marketed under the name "Game & Watch." It contained an 8-bit Z80 processor with a monochrome LCD display and 4-channel stereo sound. Shortly after the introduction of the Game Boy, Sega and Atari released handheld games, the Sega Game Gear and the Atari Lynx. Both had superior color LCD displays but both also suffered from short battery life and limited game availability. Nintendo shipped over 100 million units of the Game Boy and its successor, the Game Boy Color around the world.
All original Game Boys were bundled with Tetris, an addictive game developed in 1985 by Russian mathematician Alexey Pazhitnov, assisted by Dmitry Pavlovsky and Vadim Gerasimov. As with the NES, game software was stored on removable cartridges, allowing users to switch games at whim. Nintendo also marketed a number of accessories with this version of the Game Boy, including a camera and printer attachment.
Date made
1989
user
Huynh, Richard
patent holder
Nintendo Co., Ltd.
maker
Nintendo Co., Ltd.
ID Number
2003.0344.01
accession number
2003.0344
catalog number
2003.0344.01
This plastic yo-yo was manufactured by the Duncan Toys Company in the 1980s. It is plastic with clear sides.
Description (Brief)
This plastic yo-yo was manufactured by the Duncan Toys Company in the 1980s. It is plastic with clear sides. Under one side there is a "magic motion" holographic portrait of DC Comics character Clark Kent wearing glasses, which when tilted, turns into an image of his alter-ego Superman. The yo-yo's other side features a red and yellow Superman “S" on a blue background.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1980s
maker
Duncan
ID Number
2002.0246.32
accession number
2002.0246
catalog number
2002.0246.32
Wooden dog sled made by the North Star Sled Company and used by Libby Riddles when she became the first woman musher to win the Iditarod Sled Dog Race in 1985. Libby Riddles was born in the “lower 48” but moved to Alaska when she was 16.
Description (Brief)
Wooden dog sled made by the North Star Sled Company and used by Libby Riddles when she became the first woman musher to win the Iditarod Sled Dog Race in 1985. Libby Riddles was born in the “lower 48” but moved to Alaska when she was 16. Her love of the outdoors and dogs led her to raise and train sled dogs and eventually fueled her passion for sled dog racing. Her first Iditarod run was in 1980 but the male dominated sport left her an outsider, without sponsors. Dog sled racing competitors rely heavily on their sponsor’s money to fund their training and to maintain their sled dog team and with none to provide that stability Riddles was left to her own devices. In 1985 she entered the Iditarod once more and though she had a rough start, 15 days into the race, she was able to pick up a lead as she rode through a blizzard in -50 degree temperatures. Riddles was the first to cross the finish line after 18 days, 20 minutes and 17 seconds. Her win produced a new generation of female mushers and as of 2015, one third of the race competitors were women.
The Iditarod Sled Dog Race is an extreme sports challenge that tests the skill and endurance of competitors while celebrating Alaska’s sled dog culture and history. Teams of 12 to 16 dogs, primarily Alaskan Huskies, and their musher experience harsh terrain and weather conditions during the 1,150 mile run from Anchorage to Nome. In its modern iteration as an extreme sport, the Iditarod takes an intense physical toll not only on the human competitors but also on the sled dogs. The race follows a large network of Native trade and travel routes which travelers used when gold was discovered in the isolated town of Iditarod. This discovery led to a “rush” of miners and settlers from across the country, transforming the trail into the region’s main mail and supply route. The area’s harsh winter conditions made sled dog teams the main source of transportation along the Iditarod Trail and it is this rich history which the Iditarod race celebrates today. In 1978 Congress designated the 2300 mile Iditarod Trail as a National Historic Trail recognizing its importance in the shaping of America. Through its beginnings as a regional story, the Iditarod provides us the opportunity to explore the American Experience through the origins of the Iditarod National Historic Trail and the transformation of the Alaskan sled dog culture into an international sport. The Iditarod is now the largest and most prominent sled dog race in the world, attracting international competitors and world-wide media attention.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1985
used
Riddles, Libby
maker
North Star Dog Sled Company
ID Number
2008.0143.01
accession number
2008.0143
catalog number
2008.0143.01
This wooden "Smothers Brothers" yo-yo was made by the Hummingbird Toy Company in 1988. The yo-yo is unopened upon its original yellow, red and black display card that also holds an owner’s manual.
Description (Brief)
This wooden "Smothers Brothers" yo-yo was made by the Hummingbird Toy Company in 1988. The yo-yo is unopened upon its original yellow, red and black display card that also holds an owner’s manual. Silhouette images of the brothers holding musical instruments are printed on the card. The yo-yo has flat sides and a stamped drawing of Dick Smothers (1939- ). The Smothers Brothers were a duo comedy variety act who parlayed their song “Yo-yo Man” into a successful instructional video and yo-yo line.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1988
depicted
Smothers Brothers
maker
Hummingbird Toy Company, Ltd.
ID Number
2002.0246.52
accession number
2002.0246
catalog number
2002.0246.52
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1960s-1980s
depicted (sitter)
Kennedy, Edward M.
maker
Regan, Ken
ID Number
2013.0327.1232
accession number
2013.0327
catalog number
2013.0327.1232
This plastic yo-yo was manufactured by the Jack Russell Company during the 1960s.
Description (Brief)
This plastic yo-yo was manufactured by the Jack Russell Company during the 1960s. It has white sides which read, “Genuine Russell Yo-Yo, Made in Australia, Pause for Coke, Trademark Registered, Be Really Refreshed, Championship.” Jack Russell began his career as a Duncan yo-yo professional before creating a foreign promotions company for the Duncan Toys Company in the early 1950s. In 1958 Russell formed his own promotional firm which primarily worked with the Coca-Cola Company. This is an example of an Australian Coca-Cola promotion.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1960s-1980s
maker
Russell
ID Number
2002.0246.26
accession number
2002.0246
catalog number
2002.0246.26
This plastic yo-yo was distributed by the McDonald's restaurant chain during the 1980s. Made to resemble a hamburger, it was given away in Happy Meals and other regional promotions.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
This plastic yo-yo was distributed by the McDonald's restaurant chain during the 1980s. Made to resemble a hamburger, it was given away in Happy Meals and other regional promotions.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1980s
maker
McDonald's Corporation
ID Number
2002.0246.25
accession number
2002.0246
catalog number
2002.0246.25
This plastic yo-yo was made by Peter Fish (HK) Ltd. in the 1980s. It has a black rim and clear sides. The interior of each side is filled with silicone gel.
Description (Brief)
This plastic yo-yo was made by Peter Fish (HK) Ltd. in the 1980s. It has a black rim and clear sides. The interior of each side is filled with silicone gel. Each side reads, “Pamela The World’s First Silicone Implanted Glow Yo Yo." This title is likely a sly nod to "Baywatch" television star Pamela Anderson (1967-.)
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1980s
ID Number
2002.0246.28
accession number
2002.0246
catalog number
2002.0246.28
Swamp Rat XXX is a drag racing car of the top-fuel class, designed, built and raced by Don Garlits of Ocala, Florida. Garlits, better known as "Big Daddy," is one of the pioneers of drag racing, which is a test of acceleration on quarter-mile tracks.
Description
Swamp Rat XXX is a drag racing car of the top-fuel class, designed, built and raced by Don Garlits of Ocala, Florida. Garlits, better known as "Big Daddy," is one of the pioneers of drag racing, which is a test of acceleration on quarter-mile tracks. He began racing in 1950 in modified stock cars at Zephyr Hills, Fla., not far from his home in Tampa, shifting to drag racing in 1959. Over a 30-year career, he was one of the most innovative builders in the sport.
Swamp Rat XXX won the National Hot Rod Association championship in 1986 with a quarter-mile speed of 272.55 miles an hour. It crashed at a race in Spokane, Washington, and, along with Garlits, retired from active competition.
The vehicle displays the state of drag racing art in the 1980s: a very long wheelbase, small front wheels to minimize aerodynamic drag, engine in the rear, and a wing for added aerodynamic down force. The engine placement puts most of the vehicle's weight on the rear or driving wheels and behind the driver for safety reasons in case of an engine blow-up.
The car is covered with emblems, chiefly of sponsoring corporations. It carries a Christian cross and the words "God is Love," reflecting Garlits' experience in 1959 when, after an accident, his system could not handle pain-killing drugs. In severe pain, he cried out, "Lord help me," and his pain ceased.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1985-1986
user
Garlits, Donald G.
maker
Garlits, Donald G.
ID Number
1987.0889.01
catalog number
1987.0889.01
accession number
1987.0889
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1981-05-08
photographer
Regan, Ken
ID Number
2014.0112.053
catalog number
2014.0112.053
accession number
2014.0112
Round pin-back button with a printed design of "LA 84 / I'm A Part if History" in lavendar, pink, orange and green.
Description (Brief)
Round pin-back button with a printed design of "LA 84 / I'm A Part if History" in lavendar, pink, orange and green. German printed within an orange band at top.
The 1984 Summer Olympics, also known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad were held in Los Angeles, California with 140 countries, 5,263 men and 1,566 women athletes participating. These Games were boycotted by fourteen countries, including the Soviet Union because of America’s boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. American Carl Lewis won four gold medals in track and field while Joan Benoit won gold for the U.S. in the first women’s marathon. Mary Lou Retton dominated women’s gymnastics becoming the first American to win the gymnastics all-around competition and the American men won the gold in the gymnastics team competition. With the addition of women’s only events of rhythmic gymnastics and synchronized swimming and the addition of women’s events in track and field, shooting and cycling, women athletes were just beginning to see results from Title IX legislation of twelve years prior. The United States won the medal count with 174.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1984
ID Number
1985.0297.17.2
accession number
1985.0297
catalog number
1985.0297.17.2
Round pin-back button with a printed design of "LA 84 / I'm A Part if History" in lavendar, pink, orange and green.
Description (Brief)
Round pin-back button with a printed design of "LA 84 / I'm A Part if History" in lavendar, pink, orange and green. Czech printed within an orange band at top.
The 1984 Summer Olympics, also known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad were held in Los Angeles, California with 140 countries, 5,263 men and 1,566 women athletes participating. These Games were boycotted by fourteen countries, including the Soviet Union because of America’s boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. American Carl Lewis won four gold medals in track and field while Joan Benoit won gold for the U.S. in the first women’s marathon. Mary Lou Retton dominated women’s gymnastics becoming the first American to win the gymnastics all-around competition and the American men won the gold in the gymnastics team competition. With the addition of women’s only events of rhythmic gymnastics and synchronized swimming and the addition of women’s events in track and field, shooting and cycling, women athletes were just beginning to see results from Title IX legislation of twelve years prior. The United States won the medal count with 174.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1984
ID Number
1985.0297.17.4
accession number
1985.0297
catalog number
1985.0297.17.4
Round pin-back button with a printed design of "LA 84 / I'm A Part if History" in lavendar, pink, orange and green.
Description (Brief)
Round pin-back button with a printed design of "LA 84 / I'm A Part if History" in lavendar, pink, orange and green. Korean printed within an orange band at top.
The 1984 Summer Olympics, also known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad were held in Los Angeles, California with 140 countries, 5,263 men and 1,566 women athletes participating. These Games were boycotted by fourteen countries, including the Soviet Union because of America’s boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. American Carl Lewis won four gold medals in track and field while Joan Benoit won gold for the U.S. in the first women’s marathon. Mary Lou Retton dominated women’s gymnastics becoming the first American to win the gymnastics all-around competition and the American men won the gold in the gymnastics team competition. With the addition of women’s only events of rhythmic gymnastics and synchronized swimming and the addition of women’s events in track and field, shooting and cycling, women athletes were just beginning to see results from Title IX legislation of twelve years prior. The United States won the medal count with 174.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1984
ID Number
1985.0297.17.3
accession number
1985.0297
catalog number
1985.0297.17.3
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1980-06-09
signer
Feller, Bob
ID Number
1986.0830.04
accession number
1986.0830
catalog number
1986.0830.04
Baseball used in the 1983 Cracker Jack Old Timers Baseball Classic. The game was played at RFK Stadium in Washington D.C. on July 18.Currently not on view
Description
Baseball used in the 1983 Cracker Jack Old Timers Baseball Classic. The game was played at RFK Stadium in Washington D.C. on July 18.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1983
associated institution
Cracker Jack Old Timers Baseball Classic
maker
Rawlings
ID Number
1984.0229.01
accession number
1984.0229
catalog number
1984.0229.01
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1984
ID Number
1984.0943.21
accession number
1984.0943
catalog number
1984.0943.21
Round pin-back button with a printed design of "LA 84 / I'm A Part if History" in lavendar, pink, orange and green.
Description (Brief)
Round pin-back button with a printed design of "LA 84 / I'm A Part if History" in lavendar, pink, orange and green. Arabic printed within an orange band at top.
The 1984 Summer Olympics, also known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad were held in Los Angeles, California with 140 countries, 5,263 men and 1,566 women athletes participating. These Games were boycotted by fourteen countries, including the Soviet Union because of America’s boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. American Carl Lewis won four gold medals in track and field while Joan Benoit won gold for the U.S. in the first women’s marathon. Mary Lou Retton dominated women’s gymnastics becoming the first American to win the gymnastics all-around competition and the American men won the gold in the gymnastics team competition. With the addition of women’s only events of rhythmic gymnastics and synchronized swimming and the addition of women’s events in track and field, shooting and cycling, women athletes were just beginning to see results from Title IX legislation of twelve years prior. The United States won the medal count with 174.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1984
ID Number
1985.0297.17.5
accession number
1985.0297
catalog number
1985.0297.17.5
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1984
ID Number
1984.0943.19
accession number
1984.0943
catalog number
1984.0943.19
Reflecting telescope made in the 1980s as part of the "Dobsonian revolution" in amateur astronomy.John Dobson began developing this form in 1956. At the time he was living in a monastery in San Francisco, working as a gardener.
Description
Reflecting telescope made in the 1980s as part of the "Dobsonian revolution" in amateur astronomy.
John Dobson began developing this form in 1956. At the time he was living in a monastery in San Francisco, working as a gardener. Although he had a degree in chemistry, Dobson had always been interested in spiritual issues. Seeking a way to experience a fundamental reality, he became obsessed with seeing the "deep sky"—the distant realm of nebula and galaxies.
Unfortunately, to actually see these astronomical objects required large telescopes that were generally only available to astronomers and were too expensive for many people, and especially for Dobson, who had taken a vow of poverty.
Undeterred, Dobson began teaching himself telescope making. In time he developed a new telescope design and a new approach to telescope making. Compared to the typical amateur telescope of the time, what came to be known as the "Dobsonian" telescopes were large, easy to use, inexpensive, and portable. They were also easy to make. The mirrors were ground from simple porthole glass. The mounts were made from common construction materials. Although comparatively crude, these strange new telescopes worked. Thrilled by his success, Dobson put them on wheels and pulled them around the streets of San Francisco, offering to show the wonders of the sky to anyone he met.
Around 1967 Dobson helped found the Sidewalk Astronomers. They became famous for touring the United States, setting up their telescopes (affectionately known as "light buckets") and inviting passers-by to look through them. Telescope design continues to evolve and today the majority of amateur telescopes (like this one) are precise and commercially made. However, many active amateur astronomers credit an early encounter with a Dobsonian for starting their interest in astronomy and changing the way they view the sky.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1988
inventor
Dobson, John L.
maker
Coulter Optical Co.
ID Number
1994.0399.01
accession number
1994.0399
catalog number
1994.0399.01
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1984
ID Number
1999.3052.027
nonaccession number
1999.3052
catalog number
1999.3052.027
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1983
ID Number
1984.0803.02
catalog number
1984.0803.02
accession number
1984.0803
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1986-02-20
photographer
Regan, Ken
ID Number
2014.0112.154
catalog number
2014.0112.154
accession number
2014.0112
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1986-02-20
photographer
Regan, Ken
ID Number
2014.0112.159
catalog number
2014.0112.159
accession number
2014.0112
This board was used by the donor, Mark Lake at the Surf Expo, 80s competition in Orlando, Florida in 2011. Lake began his pro skateboarding career at 19 with his first pro model deck by Flite Skateboards.
Description (Brief)
This board was used by the donor, Mark Lake at the Surf Expo, 80s competition in Orlando, Florida in 2011. Lake began his pro skateboarding career at 19 with his first pro model deck by Flite Skateboards. In 1985 he began skating for Walker skateboards where he designed his unique 'Nightmare' board and in 1987 left to create his own company, Lake Skateboards. He has been competing throughout the country for the past 35 years.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1980s
user
Lake, Mark
ID Number
2011.0092.02
accession number
2011.0092
catalog number
2011.0092.02

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