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: 1940s

Ira Thomas, Athletics B.B.C.

Catcher Ira Thomas (1881-1958) played major league baseball from 1906-1915. After three relatively unproductive years playing for the New York Highlanders and Detroit Tigers, Thomas would find greater success after joining manager Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics in 1909.
Description
Catcher Ira Thomas (1881-1958) played major league baseball from 1906-1915. After three relatively unproductive years playing for the New York Highlanders and Detroit Tigers, Thomas would find greater success after joining manager Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics in 1909. On the A's, Thomas was given the team's captaincy, helping lead the club to consecutive World Series victories in 1910 and 1911. Following his playing days Thomas remained with the Athletics as a scout.
The object is one of a set of 12 cards autographed by professional baseball players, primarily members of the Philadelphia Athletics.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1940s
1910
thru person
Rinsland, George
Associated Name
Mack, Connie
Cobb, Tyrus Raymond
Speaker, Tris
ID Number
CL.310547.035.01
accession number
310547
catalog number
310547.035

Baseball, signed by the 1950 Chicago Cubs

Baseball signed by the 1950 Chicago Cubs. That season the Cubs finished 64-89, finishing 7th in National League.
Description
Baseball signed by the 1950 Chicago Cubs. That season the Cubs finished 64-89, finishing 7th in National League. While the ball is marked "Cubs-1949," the autographs correspond to the 1950 Chicago Cubs team.
Autographs include Frank Frisch; Preston Ward; Wayne Terwilliger; Roy Smalley; Bill Serena; Bob Borkowski; Andy Pafko; Hank Sauer; Mickey Owen; Phil Cavarretta; Rube Walker; Carmen Mauro; Hal Jeffcoat; Ron Northey; Hank Edwards; Bob Rush; Johnny Schmitz; Paul Minner; Frank Hiller; Monk Dubiel; Doyle Lade; Johnny Klippstein; Dutch Leonard.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1949
associated institution
Chicago Cubs
maker
Spalding
ID Number
CL.310547.157
accession number
310547
catalog number
310547.157

Photograph of wheelchair basketball team from St. Albans

Black and white photograph of wheelchair basketball team from St. Albans taken by Ray Werner. Werner was paralyzed below the waist during his World War II service on Guadalcanal in July of 1942. He was sent to a rehabilitation hospital, where sports were used in his treatment.
Description (Brief)
Black and white photograph of wheelchair basketball team from St. Albans taken by Ray Werner. Werner was paralyzed below the waist during his World War II service on Guadalcanal in July of 1942. He was sent to a rehabilitation hospital, where sports were used in his treatment. Werner, a gifted athlete in high school, was a perfect candidate for a new series of rehabilitation programs initiated by the federal government. Wheelchair basketball was the first sport included in these programs, and Werner excelled becoming a pioneer of the sport. He competed in the first Paralympic Games in Rome in 1968 and continued to help disabled veterans, opening a wheelchair repair shop and installing hand controls in cars for drivers with paraplegia.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
2016.3137.04
nonaccession number
2016.3137
catalog number
2016.3137.04

Bergen Evening Record article featuring Ray Werner and the Jersey Wheelers

Bergen Evening Record article featuring Ray Werner and the Jersey Wheelers, Saturday March 27, 1954, 2 pages. Werner is the second from the left in the back row. Ray Werner was paralyzed below the waist during his World War II service on Guadalcanal in July of 1942.
Description (Brief)
Bergen Evening Record article featuring Ray Werner and the Jersey Wheelers, Saturday March 27, 1954, 2 pages. Werner is the second from the left in the back row. Ray Werner was paralyzed below the waist during his World War II service on Guadalcanal in July of 1942. He was sent to a rehabilitation hospital, where sports were used in his treatment. Werner, a gifted athlete in high school, was a perfect candidate for a new series of rehabilitation programs initiated by the federal government. Wheelchair basketball was the first sport included in these programs, and Werner excelled becoming a pioneer of the sport. He competed in the first Paralympic Games in Rome in 1968 and continued to help disabled veterans, opening a wheelchair repair shop and installing hand controls in cars for drivers with paraplegia.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1954
ID Number
2016.3137.08
nonaccession number
2016.3137
catalog number
2016.3137.08

Skiing at Mt. Ranier National Park

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1940s
ID Number
2013.0327.1066
accession number
2013.0327
catalog number
2013.0327.1066

Earle Cuzzens

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1930s-1940s
Associated Name
Louis, Joe
ID Number
2007.0021.04
accession number
2007.0021
catalog number
2007.0021.04

John W. Roxborough

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1938
ca 1930s
ca 1930s-1940s
Associated Name
Louis, Joe
ID Number
2007.0021.03
accession number
2007.0021
catalog number
2007.0021.03

Program for wheelchair basketball game, Jersey Wheelers vs. New Utrecht Whirlaways

Program for wheelchair basketball game, Jersey Wheelers vs. New Utrecht Whirlaways. Werner is the second from the left in the back row. Ray Werner was paralyzed below the waist during his World War II service on Guadalcanal in July of 1942.
Description (Brief)
Program for wheelchair basketball game, Jersey Wheelers vs. New Utrecht Whirlaways. Werner is the second from the left in the back row. Ray Werner was paralyzed below the waist during his World War II service on Guadalcanal in July of 1942. He was sent to a rehabilitation hospital, where sports were used in his treatment. Werner, a gifted athlete in high school, was a perfect candidate for a new series of rehabilitation programs initiated by the federal government. Wheelchair basketball was the first sport included in these programs, and Werner excelled becoming a pioneer of the sport. He competed in the first Paralympic Games in Rome in 1968 and continued to help disabled veterans, opening a wheelchair repair shop and installing hand controls in cars for drivers with paraplegia.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1950
ID Number
2016.3137.06
nonaccession number
2016.3137
catalog number
2016.3137.06

Joe Louis

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1930s
ca 1930s-1940s
depicted (sitter)
Louis, Joe
ID Number
2007.0021.02
accession number
2007.0021
catalog number
2007.0021.02

Helmet worn by Andy Granatelli during the Indianapolis 500, 1948

Helmet worn by Andy Granatelli during the Indianapolis 500 of 1948.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Helmet worn by Andy Granatelli during the Indianapolis 500 of 1948.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1948
user
Granatelli, Vincent J.
maker
Cromwell Hats
ID Number
2017.0092.02
accession number
2017.0092
catalog number
2017.0092.02

Photograph of Ray Werner and the wheelchair basketball team, The Jersey Wheelers, during a game

Black and white photograph of Ray Werner and the wheelchair basketball team, The Jersey Wheelers, during a game. Werner is the player waeing the number 4. Ray Werner was paralyzed below the waist during his World War II service on Guadalcanal in July of 1942.
Description (Brief)
Black and white photograph of Ray Werner and the wheelchair basketball team, The Jersey Wheelers, during a game. Werner is the player waeing the number 4. Ray Werner was paralyzed below the waist during his World War II service on Guadalcanal in July of 1942. He was sent to a rehabilitation hospital, where sports were used in his treatment. Werner, a gifted athlete in high school, was a perfect candidate for a new series of rehabilitation programs initiated by the federal government. Wheelchair basketball was the first sport included in these programs, and Werner excelled becoming a pioneer of the sport. He competed in the first Paralympic Games in Rome in 1968 and continued to help disabled veterans, opening a wheelchair repair shop and installing hand controls in cars for drivers with paraplegia.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
2016.3137.05
nonaccession number
2016.3137
catalog number
2016.3137.05

Photograph of wheelchair basketball team, the Jersey Wheelers

Black and white photograph of wheelchair basketball team, the Jersey Wheelers. Ray Werner is pictured second from the right. Werner was paralyzed below the waist during his World War II service on Guadalcanal in July of 1942.
Description (Brief)
Black and white photograph of wheelchair basketball team, the Jersey Wheelers. Ray Werner is pictured second from the right. Werner was paralyzed below the waist during his World War II service on Guadalcanal in July of 1942. He was sent to a rehabilitation hospital, where sports were used in his treatment. Werner, a gifted athlete in high school, was a perfect candidate for a new series of rehabilitation programs initiated by the federal government. Wheelchair basketball was the first sport included in these programs, and Werner excelled becoming a pioneer of the sport. He competed in the first Paralympic Games in Rome in 1968 and continued to help disabled veterans, opening a wheelchair repair shop and installing hand controls in cars for drivers with paraplegia.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
2016.3137.03
nonaccession number
2016.3137
catalog number
2016.3137.03

Photograph of wheelchair basketball player Ray Werner of the Jersey Wheelers

Black and white photograph of wheelchair basketball player Ray Werner of the Jersey Wheelers. Ray Werner was paralyzed below the waist during his World War II service on Guadalcanal in July of 1942.
Description (Brief)
Black and white photograph of wheelchair basketball player Ray Werner of the Jersey Wheelers. Ray Werner was paralyzed below the waist during his World War II service on Guadalcanal in July of 1942. He was sent to a rehabilitation hospital, where sports were used in his treatment. Werner, a gifted athlete in high school, was a perfect candidate for a new series of rehabilitation programs initiated by the federal government. Wheelchair basketball was the first sport included in these programs, and Werner excelled becoming a pioneer of the sport. He competed in the first Paralympic Games in Rome in 1968 and continued to help disabled veterans, opening a wheelchair repair shop and installing hand controls in cars for drivers with paraplegia.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
2016.3137.01
nonaccession number
2016.3137
catalog number
2016.3137.01

Helmet worn by Andy Granatelli while trying to set a land speed record in a rocket car, 1948

Helmet worn by Andy Granatelli while trying to set a land speed record in a rocket car in 1946.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Helmet worn by Andy Granatelli while trying to set a land speed record in a rocket car in 1946.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1946
user
Granatelli, Vincent J.
maker
Cromwell Hats
ID Number
2017.0092.01
accession number
2017.0092
catalog number
2017.0092.01

Blake style hollow paddle board made in the 1940s

This hollow paddle board was made during the 1940s, and represents Tom Blake’s patented design. When Tom Blake was 18, he met Duke Kahanamoku in a movie theatre lobby in Detroit, Michigan.
Description (Brief)
This hollow paddle board was made during the 1940s, and represents Tom Blake’s patented design. When Tom Blake was 18, he met Duke Kahanamoku in a movie theatre lobby in Detroit, Michigan. A year later he moved to Los Angeles and became a competitive swimmer, competing against Kahanamoku in 1922 and beating him. At 19, Blake became a lifeguard at the Santa Monica Swim Club but it wasn’t until 1924 that he began surfing regularly. Blake visited Hawaii that year and was soon surfing alongside Island regulars and studying the boards of the ancient Hawaiians at the Bishop Museum in Honolulu. It was then that he began to experiment with board construction becoming one of the greatest innovators of the sport to date. He introduced the patented hollow paddleboard in 1931 which cut the board weight in half and fueled the first boom in surfing as the lighter boards made surfing more accessible to the masses. This board would become a standard piece of equipment as a life saving device used by lifeguards throughout the globe. In 1935, his second innovation was the stabilizing fin and although it did not catch on in Hawaii for another five years this design advance is what almost all future board advances were built and became standard in 1940. In 1932, The Thomas Rogers Company of Venice, California carried a line of ‘Tom Blake Hawaiian Paddle Boards’ making Blake one of the first board builders to have his creations mass produced. Blake also became one of the first surf photographers and in 1929 made an underwater housing for a camera he bought from Kahanamoku and proceeded to take photographs of surfers in action, in and under the water. Some of his photographs were published in a 1935 issue of The National Geographic along with his book “Hawaiian Surfboard”, the first book featuring a history of surfing.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1940s
ID Number
2015.0189.01
accession number
2015.0189
catalog number
2015.0189.01

Program for wheelchair basketball game, Jersey Wheelers vs. The Bullova's

Program for wheelchair basketball game, Jersey Wheelers vs. The Bullova's. Werner is the second from the left in the back row. Ray Werner was paralyzed below the waist during his World War II service on Guadalcanal in July of 1942.
Description (Brief)
Program for wheelchair basketball game, Jersey Wheelers vs. The Bullova's. Werner is the second from the left in the back row. Ray Werner was paralyzed below the waist during his World War II service on Guadalcanal in July of 1942. He was sent to a rehabilitation hospital, where sports were used in his treatment. Werner, a gifted athlete in high school, was a perfect candidate for a new series of rehabilitation programs initiated by the federal government. Wheelchair basketball was the first sport included in these programs, and Werner excelled becoming a pioneer of the sport. He competed in the first Paralympic Games in Rome in 1968 and continued to help disabled veterans, opening a wheelchair repair shop and installing hand controls in cars for drivers with paraplegia.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1950
ID Number
2016.3137.07
nonaccession number
2016.3137
catalog number
2016.3137.07

Race cachet for the World Championship Race at Truckee, California, 1949

Race carried by dog team at the World Championship Sled Dog Race in Truckee, California.
Description (Brief)
Race carried by dog team at the World Championship Sled Dog Race in Truckee, California. This cachet pays homage to the early history of the original purpose of the sled dog which was to provide mail and supplies for early settlers and is carried by each musher during the race.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1949
ID Number
2014.0116.08
accession number
2014.0116
catalog number
2014.0116.09

Photograph of wheelchair basketball player Ray Werner of the Jersey Wheelers

Black and white photograph of wheelchair basketball player Ray Werner of the Jersey Wheelers. Ray Werner was paralyzed below the waist during his World War II service on Guadalcanal in July of 1942.
Description (Brief)
Black and white photograph of wheelchair basketball player Ray Werner of the Jersey Wheelers. Ray Werner was paralyzed below the waist during his World War II service on Guadalcanal in July of 1942. He was sent to a rehabilitation hospital, where sports were used in his treatment. Werner, a gifted athlete in high school, was a perfect candidate for a new series of rehabilitation programs initiated by the federal government. Wheelchair basketball was the first sport included in these programs, and Werner excelled becoming a pioneer of the sport. He competed in the first Paralympic Games in Rome in 1968 and continued to help disabled veterans, opening a wheelchair repair shop and installing hand controls in cars for drivers with paraplegia.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
2016.3137.02
nonaccession number
2016.3137
catalog number
2016.3137.02

Baseball card album from the Cuban Leagues, 1945

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1945-1946
ID Number
2016.0369.04
accession number
2016.0369
catalog number
2016.0369.04

New York Cuban Stars vs. Kansas City Monarchs Baseball Ticket

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1944
used date
1944-07-02
ID Number
1981.0355.03
catalog number
1981.0355.03
accession number
1981.0355

Boots worn by Earl Shaffer while hiking the length of the Appalachian Trail

Brown leather boots with brown laces and brown stitching. These were worn by the donor, Earl Shaffer, during his hike of the Appalachian Trail in 1948. This was the first of three times Shaffer was said to have walked the entire length of the 2,180 miles of the Trail.
Description (Brief)
Brown leather boots with brown laces and brown stitching. These were worn by the donor, Earl Shaffer, during his hike of the Appalachian Trail in 1948. This was the first of three times Shaffer was said to have walked the entire length of the 2,180 miles of the Trail. He hiked through again in 1965 and 1998. The Appalachian Trail is one of the longest continuously marked footpaths in the world, traveling through fourteen states along the Appalachian mountain range from Springer Mountain, Georgia, to the Trail’s northern end in Katahdin, Maine. The trail—completed in 1937 thanks to the cooperation of government agencies, private partners, and volunteers—continues to be sustained by public-private partnerships.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1948
user
Shaffer, Earl V.
ID Number
1999.0189.04
accession number
1999.0189
catalog number
1999.0189.04

1948 Tucker Sedan

Preston Tucker's automobile was promoted as "the first completely new car in fifty years" because of its novel engineering and safety features and its unique styling.
Description
Preston Tucker's automobile was promoted as "the first completely new car in fifty years" because of its novel engineering and safety features and its unique styling. The rear-mounted engine and rubber suspension were designed to improve performance and reduce noise, fumes, and vibration. Safety features included a center headlight that turned with the front wheels and collision protection provided by a pop-out windshield, padded dashboard, and "safety chamber" for the front passenger. Tucker's styling gave the car a futuristic appearance and an impression of power and speed. Fifty-one cars were built before production was halted due to financial problems.
Date made
1948
ID Number
1993.0484.01
accession number
1993.0484
catalog number
1993.0484.01

Ford-based Track Roadster

Hot rods first appeared in southern California in the late 1930s and became popular in many other places after World War II. Oval track racing combined speed and spectator enjoyment.
Description
Hot rods first appeared in southern California in the late 1930s and became popular in many other places after World War II. Oval track racing combined speed and spectator enjoyment. Dick Fraizer, Floyd Johnson, and Hack Winniger built this competition track roadster in Muncie, Indiana. It has a 1927 Ford Model T body, a 1928 Chevrolet chassis, and a Ford V-8 engine. Fraizer set a one-lap speed record of 84.23 miles per hour with this car at the Winchester Speedway in Indiana. It also ran at Soldiers Field in Chicago with Andy Granatelli’s Hurricane Racing Association and on tracks as far east as Virginia.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1948
maker
Anderson, Donald
ID Number
1992.0028.01
accession number
1992.0028
catalog number
1992.0028.01

Who's Who in the Major Leagues, 8th Edition

Who's Who in Major League Baseball is a series of books published annually, beginning in 1933. From 1938 – 1954 the series was edited by Chicago Daily News sportswriter John P.
Description (Brief)
Who's Who in Major League Baseball is a series of books published annually, beginning in 1933. From 1938 – 1954 the series was edited by Chicago Daily News sportswriter John P. Carmichael (1902-1986) winner of 1974's Baseball Writers Association of America's Career Excellence Award.
The cover of the 8th edition of Who's Who features some of era's greatest performers; Boston Red Sox pitcher Robert (Lefty) Grove; New York Yankees outfielder Joe DiMaggio; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Johnny Mize, and Cincinnati Reds pitcher Bucky Walters.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1940
thru person
Rinsland, George
author
Carmichael, John P.
publisher
Callahan, B. E.
depicted (sitter)
DiMaggio, Joe
Associated Name
Grove, Lefty
New York Yankees
Boston Red Sox
St. Louis Cardinals
Cincinnati Reds
maker
Callahan, B. E.
ID Number
CL.310547.010
catalog number
310547.010
accession number
310547

Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.

If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.