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: 1990s

Thrasher Magazine

This is an August 1999 issue of Thrasher magazine featuring a memorial tribute to skateboarder Tim Brauch who died suddenly from a childhood heart condition.
Description (Brief)
This is an August 1999 issue of Thrasher magazine featuring a memorial tribute to skateboarder Tim Brauch who died suddenly from a childhood heart condition. Thrasher was first published in 1981, founded by Eric Swenson, and Fausto Vitello and catapulted skateboarding into the public eye. Often known for its portrayal of skateboarders as rebellious and aggressive with a ‘skate or die’ attitude it was popular with younger males who happened to be the mainstay of skating during the 1980s. Thrasher also featured music-related articles geared toward punk and hard rock bands which also epitomized the skate lifestyle of the times. Swenson and Vitello had also co-founded Independent Trucks which advertised heavily in Thrasher which helped make Independent Trucks one of the biggest names in the skate industry.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1999
depicted
Brauch, Tim
ID Number
2011.3085.277
nonaccession number
2011.3085
catalog number
2011.3085.277

Sixth place ribbon awarded to Special Olympian Marty Sheets

Yellow sixth place ribbon won by Marty Sheets at the 1999 Special Olympic World Games in the squat competition.Marty Sheets was born with Downs Syndrome in 1953 but through Camp Joy, a camp for kids with intellectual disabilities, he found a love of sports.
Description (Brief)
Yellow sixth place ribbon won by Marty Sheets at the 1999 Special Olympic World Games in the squat competition.
Marty Sheets was born with Downs Syndrome in 1953 but through Camp Joy, a camp for kids with intellectual disabilities, he found a love of sports. Invited to participate in the first International Special Olympic Games in Chicago in 1968, Marty formed a life long bond with founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver. Over the course of the next 40 years Sheets won over 250 medals while competing in golf, swimming, Alpine skiing, tennis and power lifting. His favorite sport was golf and In 2006, he was the PGA’s national volunteer of the year for his work at the Wyndham Championship in his hometown of Greensboro, N.C. He is also included in the portrait of Eunice Kennedy Shriver and other Special Olympians which now resides in the National Portrait Gallery collections.
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
1999
ID Number
2017.0134.20.07
accession number
2017.0134
catalog number
2017.0134.20.07

Women of Distinction Awards Ceremony program, 1998

Program from the National Conference for College Women Student Leaders, Women of Distinction Awards Ceremony program, June 4, 1998 in which Amy Cohen was honored.
Description (Brief)
Program from the National Conference for College Women Student Leaders, Women of Distinction Awards Ceremony program, June 4, 1998 in which Amy Cohen was honored. Cohen was the co-captain of the 1992 Brown University’s Women’s Gymnastics team and one of twelve plaintiffs in a Title IX lawsuit against the school. In 1991, Brown University was cutting funding for two women’s varsity teams including gymnastics and two men’s teams, golf and water polo. In 1997, the suit was resolved when the Supreme Court failed to hear its appeal and funding was restored to the four varsity sports and three other sports were converted to varsity status. In the March 15, 2019 issue of the Brown University’s, College Hill Independent, “Cohen v. Brown would go on to define how athletics departments manage participation opportunities at Brown and surrounding universities. Almost 30 years later, “following recent federal announcements of changes to the ways universities must interpret Title IX regarding sexual and gender-based violence, this case exemplifies the complexity of the law’s impact on gender equity in higher education.”
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1998
depicted
Cohen, Amy
ID Number
2019.0202.13
accession number
2019.0202
catalog number
2019.0202.13

Scrapbook page belonging to Special Olympian Marty Sheets

Scrapbook page belonging to Special Olympian Marty Sheets is one of forty taken from various scrapbooks made by his family over the many years of Marty's Special Olympic career.Marty Sheets was born with Downs Syndrome in 1953 but through Camp Joy, a camp for kids with intellectu
Description (Brief)
Scrapbook page belonging to Special Olympian Marty Sheets is one of forty taken from various scrapbooks made by his family over the many years of Marty's Special Olympic career.
Marty Sheets was born with Downs Syndrome in 1953 but through Camp Joy, a camp for kids with intellectual disabilities, he found a love of sports. Invited to participate in the first International Special Olympic Games in Chicago in 1968, Marty formed a life long bond with founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver. Over the course of the next 40 years Sheets won over 250 medals while competing in golf, swimming, Alpine skiing, tennis and power lifting. His favorite sport was golf and In 2006, he was the PGA’s national volunteer of the year for his work at the Wyndham Championship in his hometown of Greensboro, N.C. He is also included in the portrait of Eunice Kennedy Shriver and other Special Olympians which now resides in the National Portrait Gallery collections.
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
1991
ID Number
2017.3064.05.01
nonaccession number
2017.3064
catalog number
2017.3064.05.01

Team Portrait, Little League

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1992
associated date
1993
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2018.0194.0002
accession number
2018.0194
catalog number
2018.0194.0002

Sticker used on the Sims Shannon Dunn pro model snowboard

Sticker used on the Sims Shannon Dunn pro model snowboard. The bottom graphic is a yellow and orange sun with a face and pointed rays eminating from the center. "Sims[/] S. DUNN" is printed stylistically in yeloow above and below the sun.
Description (Brief)
Sticker used on the Sims Shannon Dunn pro model snowboard. The bottom graphic is a yellow and orange sun with a face and pointed rays eminating from the center. "Sims[/] S. DUNN" is printed stylistically in yeloow above and below the sun. Dunn drew this graphic which was to be the first snowboard made with input from a woman snowboarder. Male industry leaders were skeptical that there would be a market for a femaled based board although it the most popular selling model on 1994.
Shannon Dunn (Downing) began snowboarding in 1988 at age 16, in her hometown of Steamboat Springs, Colorado when the sport was just gaining traction on an international level. In 1985, snowboarding became more relevant as a competitive sport with the arrival of sport specific magazines and videos, the introduction of international snowboard competitions and the acceptance of snowboarding in more resorts throughout the United States. By the late 1980s, women were beginning to enter contests hoping to spark a desire in younger girls to participate. Dunn began competing a year after she started snowboarding and took first in the 1989 Halfpipe Rocky Mountain Amateur Series and second place overall. By 1990 she was competing in the pro circuit and won third in the 1990 Body Glove Snowbout. From 1991 through 1997, Dunn was a consistent first place finisher at the pro contests and won gold in halfpipe at the first ever Winter X Games in 1997. She went on to earn a spot on the inaugural Olympic snowboarding team and became the first American athlete to medal in snowboarding winning the Bronze medal in half pipe at Nagano. Dunn continued her domination of the medal stand on the pro circuit until the 2002 Salt Lake City games where she came in fifth as American Kelly Clark to gold. After the 2002 Games Dunn retired in order to concentrate on her family. Dunn co-founded “Boarding for Breast Cancer” in 1996 and continues her philanthropic work.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1994
maker
Downing, Shannon
ID Number
2021.0071.07.1
accession number
2021.0071
catalog number
2021.0071.07.1

On the Bench, Brewster White Caps

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1992
associated date
1993
maker
Horenstein, Henry
ID Number
2018.0193.0001
accession number
2018.0193
catalog number
2018.0193.0001

Thrasher magazine with Jaime Reyes on the cover

Thrasher magazine, April 1994, Issue 158 with professional skateboarder Jaime Reyes on the cover.Reyes is one of the pioneering women of 90s street skating and only one of three women ever to appear on the cover of Thrasher magazine.
Description (Brief)
Thrasher magazine, April 1994, Issue 158 with professional skateboarder Jaime Reyes on the cover.
Reyes is one of the pioneering women of 90s street skating and only one of three women ever to appear on the cover of Thrasher magazine. She grew up in Hawaii skating A’Ala Park, an old roller derby rink before skateboarders showed up. Skating in the X-Games in the mid-90s she was one of three women competitors earning only a portion of what the male skaters were taking home. She turned pro in 1993 skating for Real but moved to New York City and began skating for Rookie Skateboards in the late 90s. Reyes has had her own shoe line and many different sponsors over the years but after 9/11, skating in New York City was suffering and Reyes lost many of her sponsors. She quit skating in 2009 after her father passed away although she has picked it back up in the last few years and is skating everyday.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1994
User
Reyes, Jaime
ID Number
2018.0217.02
accession number
2018.0217
catalog number
2018.0217.02

Special Olympics Games brochure, 1993

Special Olympics Games brochure is a tri-fold pamphlet entitled, "Reaching for Victory World Winter Games, 1993." 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
Description (Brief)
Special Olympics Games brochure is a tri-fold pamphlet entitled, "Reaching for Victory World Winter Games, 1993." 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
1993
ID Number
2017.3156.06
nonaccession number
2017.3156
catalog number
2017.3156.06

Scrapbook page belonging to Special Olympian Marty Sheets

Scrapbook page belonging to Special Olympian Marty Sheets is one of forty taken from various scrapbooks made by his family over the many years of Marty's Special Olympic career.Marty Sheets was born with Downs Syndrome in 1953 but through Camp Joy, a camp for kids with intellectu
Description (Brief)
Scrapbook page belonging to Special Olympian Marty Sheets is one of forty taken from various scrapbooks made by his family over the many years of Marty's Special Olympic career.
Marty Sheets was born with Downs Syndrome in 1953 but through Camp Joy, a camp for kids with intellectual disabilities, he found a love of sports. Invited to participate in the first International Special Olympic Games in Chicago in 1968, Marty formed a life long bond with founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver. Over the course of the next 40 years Sheets won over 250 medals while competing in golf, swimming, Alpine skiing, tennis and power lifting. His favorite sport was golf and In 2006, he was the PGA’s national volunteer of the year for his work at the Wyndham Championship in his hometown of Greensboro, N.C. He is also included in the portrait of Eunice Kennedy Shriver and other Special Olympians which now resides in the National Portrait Gallery collections.
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
1991
ID Number
2017.3064.05.07
nonaccession number
2017.3064
catalog number
2017.3064.05.07

Scrapbook page belonging to Special Olympian Marty Sheets

Scrapbook page belonging to Special Olympian Marty Sheets is one of forty taken from various scrapbooks made by his family over the many years of Marty's Special Olympic career.Marty Sheets was born with Downs Syndrome in 1953 but through Camp Joy, a camp for kids with intellectu
Description (Brief)
Scrapbook page belonging to Special Olympian Marty Sheets is one of forty taken from various scrapbooks made by his family over the many years of Marty's Special Olympic career.
Marty Sheets was born with Downs Syndrome in 1953 but through Camp Joy, a camp for kids with intellectual disabilities, he found a love of sports. Invited to participate in the first International Special Olympic Games in Chicago in 1968, Marty formed a life long bond with founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver. Over the course of the next 40 years Sheets won over 250 medals while competing in golf, swimming, Alpine skiing, tennis and power lifting. His favorite sport was golf and In 2006, he was the PGA’s national volunteer of the year for his work at the Wyndham Championship in his hometown of Greensboro, N.C. He is also included in the portrait of Eunice Kennedy Shriver and other Special Olympians which now resides in the National Portrait Gallery collections.
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
1992
ID Number
2017.3064.05.10
nonaccession number
2017.3064
catalog number
2017.3064.05.10

Advertisement for the first women's Shannon Dunn pro model Sims snowboard

Advertisement for the first women's Shannon Dunn pro model Sims snowboard depicts Dunn snowboarding off of a rocky cliff on the Sims board. According to Dunn, “My pro model was named the S. Dunn Sunflower Board.
Description (Brief)
Advertisement for the first women's Shannon Dunn pro model Sims snowboard depicts Dunn snowboarding off of a rocky cliff on the Sims board. According to Dunn, “My pro model was named the S. Dunn Sunflower Board. It was designed for a smaller, lighter rider, specifically for women. I was not involved in the board shape design on this board--only the graphics. I drew both the top sheet and base graphics. The company told me the graphics were too feminine and they hired an artist to paint an alternative graphic. I disliked the art that they offered and told them, it was either my sunflower/sun design or I would forfeit the pro model. Gaylene Nagel was the marketing director and she pushed for sunflower graphic, and made it happen. Gaylene Nagel also ran into problems with the reps because they all refused to sell it initially. They said the sunflower graphics were too feminine and bold, and they doubted there would be any interest from women. Gaylene decided to purchase $5,000 in boards herself--she convinced the company to produce the boards and she promised to sell them. She called snowboard retailers and asked if they would put my pro model on consignment, promising to take them back if they didn't sell. They agreed, and every sunflower board flew off the shelves, and girls were calling the shops asking for them. The Sims Sunflower Board sold more than any other single board in the Sims board line that year. It was the number one talked about board that year in 1994 and opened the floodgates to other women's products in snowboarding--it proved there was a women's market in snowboarding for other products as well.”
Shannon Dunn (Downing) began snowboarding in 1988 at age 16, in her hometown of Steamboat Springs, Colorado when the sport was just gaining traction on an international level. In 1985, snowboarding became more relevant as a competitive sport with the arrival of sport specific magazines and videos, the introduction of international snowboard competitions and the acceptance of snowboarding in more resorts throughout the United States. By the late 1980s, women were beginning to enter contests hoping to spark a desire in younger girls to participate. Dunn began competing a year after she started snowboarding and took first in the 1989 Halfpipe Rocky Mountain Amateur Series and second place overall. By 1990 she was competing in the pro circuit and won third in the 1990 Body Glove Snowbout. From 1991 through 1997, Dunn was a consistent first place finisher at the pro contests and won gold in halfpipe at the first ever Winter X Games in 1997. She went on to earn a spot on the inaugural Olympic snowboarding team and became the first American athlete to medal in snowboarding winning the Bronze medal in half pipe at Nagano. Dunn continued her domination of the medal stand on the pro circuit until the 2002 Salt Lake City games where she came in fifth as American Kelly Clark to gold. After the 2002 Games Dunn retired in order to concentrate on her family. Dunn co-founded “Boarding for Breast Cancer” in 1996 and continues her philanthropic work.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1994
depicted
Downing, Shannon
ID Number
2021.0071.10
accession number
2021.0071
catalog number
2021.0071.10

Program used by Rebecca Kittredge Rosenstein while a member of the Brown University gymnastic team

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1990
user
Rosenstein, Rebecca
ID Number
2020.0010.05
accession number
2020.0010
catalog number
2020.0010.05

Amy Cohen, et al vs. Brown University Title IX legal document

Amy Cohen, et al vs. Brown University Title IX legal document. Cohen was the co-captain of the 1992 Brown University’s Women’s Gymnastics team and one of twelve plaintiffs in a Title IX lawsuit against the school.
Description (Brief)
Amy Cohen, et al vs. Brown University Title IX legal document. Cohen was the co-captain of the 1992 Brown University’s Women’s Gymnastics team and one of twelve plaintiffs in a Title IX lawsuit against the school. As explained by Cohen, "In 1991, Brown University cut funding for four varsity teams including women’s gymnastics. The university thought it was complying with Title IX because it was cutting 2 men’s sports and 2 women’s sports. However, women were underrepresented before the cuts and disproportionately affected by the cuts, In a precedent-setting ruling, which set the standard for determining a school’s compliance with Title IX in the area of athletics, the court mandated that Brown create a plan to comply with the law. In 1997, the U.S. Supreme Court declined Brown’s petition to hear the case, all four teams were restored to university-funded status, and Brown promoted four additional women’s teams to varsity status. Cohen v. Brown was the first Title IX case of its type to receive an appellate court decision. The Civil Rights division of the Department of Justice filed an amicus curiae brief in support of the plaintiffs in the appeals court."
In the March 15, 2019 issue of the Brown University’s, College Hill Independent, “Cohen v. Brown would go on to define how athletics departments manage participation opportunities at Brown and surrounding universities. Almost 30 years later, “following recent federal announcements of changes to the ways universities must interpret Title IX.... , this case exemplifies the complexity of the law’s impact on gender equity in higher education.”
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1993
depicted
Cohen, Amy
ID Number
2019.0202.12
accession number
2019.0202
catalog number
2019.0202.12

Special Olympics 25th Anniversary button

Special Olympics 25th Anniversary button. 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.
Description (Brief)
Special Olympics 25th Anniversary button. 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
1993
ID Number
2017.3156.34
nonaccession number
2017.3156
catalog number
2107.3156.34

Title IX Twentieth Anniversary poster

Title IX Twentieth Anniversary poster on which Amy Cohen is a featured speaker. Cohen was the co-captain of the 1992 Brown University’s Women’s Gymnastics team and one of twelve plaintiffs in a Title IX lawsuit against the school.
Description (Brief)
Title IX Twentieth Anniversary poster on which Amy Cohen is a featured speaker. Cohen was the co-captain of the 1992 Brown University’s Women’s Gymnastics team and one of twelve plaintiffs in a Title IX lawsuit against the school. In 1991, Brown University was cutting funding for two women’s varsity teams including gymnastics and two men’s teams, golf and water polo. In 1997, the suit was resolved when the Supreme Court failed to hear its appeal and funding was restored to the four varsity sports and three other sports were converted to varsity status. In the March 15, 2019 issue of the Brown University’s, College Hill Independent, “Cohen v. Brown would go on to define how athletics departments manage participation opportunities at Brown and surrounding universities. Almost 30 years later, “following recent federal announcements of changes to the ways universities must interpret Title IX regarding sexual and gender-based violence, this case exemplifies the complexity of the law’s impact on gender equity in higher education.”
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1993
depicted
Cohen, Amy
ID Number
2019.0202.15
accession number
2019.0202
catalog number
2019.0202.15

Scrapbook page belonging to Special Olympian Marty Sheets

Scrapbook page belonging to Special Olympian Marty Sheets is one of forty taken from various scrapbooks made by his family over the many years of Marty's Special Olympic career.Marty Sheets was born with Downs Syndrome in 1953 but through Camp Joy, a camp for kids with intellectu
Description (Brief)
Scrapbook page belonging to Special Olympian Marty Sheets is one of forty taken from various scrapbooks made by his family over the many years of Marty's Special Olympic career.
Marty Sheets was born with Downs Syndrome in 1953 but through Camp Joy, a camp for kids with intellectual disabilities, he found a love of sports. Invited to participate in the first International Special Olympic Games in Chicago in 1968, Marty formed a life long bond with founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver. Over the course of the next 40 years Sheets won over 250 medals while competing in golf, swimming, Alpine skiing, tennis and power lifting. His favorite sport was golf and In 2006, he was the PGA’s national volunteer of the year for his work at the Wyndham Championship in his hometown of Greensboro, N.C. He is also included in the portrait of Eunice Kennedy Shriver and other Special Olympians which now resides in the National Portrait Gallery collections.
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
1995
ID Number
2017.3064.05.19
nonaccession number
2017.3064
catalog number
2017.3064.05.19

Scrapbook page belonging to Special Olympian Marty Sheets

Scrapbook page belonging to Special Olympian Marty Sheets is one of forty taken from various scrapbooks made by his family over the many years of Marty's Special Olympic career.Marty Sheets was born with Downs Syndrome in 1953 but through Camp Joy, a camp for kids with intellectu
Description (Brief)
Scrapbook page belonging to Special Olympian Marty Sheets is one of forty taken from various scrapbooks made by his family over the many years of Marty's Special Olympic career.
Marty Sheets was born with Downs Syndrome in 1953 but through Camp Joy, a camp for kids with intellectual disabilities, he found a love of sports. Invited to participate in the first International Special Olympic Games in Chicago in 1968, Marty formed a life long bond with founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver. Over the course of the next 40 years Sheets won over 250 medals while competing in golf, swimming, Alpine skiing, tennis and power lifting. His favorite sport was golf and In 2006, he was the PGA’s national volunteer of the year for his work at the Wyndham Championship in his hometown of Greensboro, N.C. He is also included in the portrait of Eunice Kennedy Shriver and other Special Olympians which now resides in the National Portrait Gallery collections.
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
1991
ID Number
2017.3064.05.02
nonaccession number
2017.3064
catalog number
2017.3064.05.02

Rick, Dick and Bill Mackey 1991 Iditarod sports card

1991 Iditarod sports card depicting Rick, Dick and Bill Mackey. The Mackey family is well known in the sport of sled dog racing. Dick Mackey was an organizer of the first race in 1973 and one of the first to run in the early races.
Description (Brief)
1991 Iditarod sports card depicting Rick, Dick and Bill Mackey. The Mackey family is well known in the sport of sled dog racing. Dick Mackey was an organizer of the first race in 1973 and one of the first to run in the early races. He won the Iditarod in 1978 by one second and Rick became the first legacy winner in 1983. 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
1991
ID Number
2013.3036.09
nonaccession number
2013.3036
catalog number
2013.3036.09

Photograph of Special Olympian Marty Sheets

Photograph of Special Olympian Marty Sheets on the medal stand at a powerlifting event.Marty Sheets was born with Downs Syndrome in 1953 but through Camp Joy, a camp for kids with intellectual disabilities, he found a love of sports.
Description (Brief)
Photograph of Special Olympian Marty Sheets on the medal stand at a powerlifting event.
Marty Sheets was born with Downs Syndrome in 1953 but through Camp Joy, a camp for kids with intellectual disabilities, he found a love of sports. Invited to participate in the first International Special Olympic Games in Chicago in 1968, Marty formed a life long bond with founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver. Over the course of the next 40 years Sheets won over 250 medals while competing in golf, swimming, Alpine skiing, tennis and power lifting. His favorite sport was golf and In 2006, he was the PGA’s national volunteer of the year for his work at the Wyndham Championship in his hometown of Greensboro, N.C. He is also included in the portrait of Eunice Kennedy Shriver and other Special Olympians which now resides in the National Portrait Gallery collections.
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
1998
ID Number
2017.3064.23.06
nonaccession number
2017.3064
catalog number
2017.3064.23.06

Race cachet from the 26th Iditarod, 1998

Race cachet designed by the donor, Jon Van Zyle who is also the official artist of the Iditarod.
Description (Brief)
Race cachet designed by the donor, Jon Van Zyle who is also the official artist of the Iditarod. 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.
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.
Jon and Jona Van Zyle are both artists who live outside of Anchorage and have raised sled dogs for many years. Jon has been a supporter of the Iditarod since it beginnings and ran the race in 1976. Jon produced the first official poster for the Iditarod in 1977 which was such a huge success he was voted official artist of the Iditarod in 1979, a position he holds to this day. Jona also contributes her artistic talents to the race by designing logos for the Junior Iditarod and race cachets for the Iditarod and personal cachets for various mushers.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1998
artist
Van Zyle, Jon
ID Number
2014.0116.16
accession number
2014.0116
catalog number
2014.0116.17

Welcome to Hell VHS tape

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1996
ID Number
2022.0065.04
accession number
2022.0065
catalog number
2022.0065.04

Scrapbook page belonging to Special Olympian Marty Sheets

Scrapbook page belonging to Special Olympian Marty Sheets is one of forty taken from various scrapbooks made by his family over the many years of Marty's Special Olympic career.Marty Sheets was born with Downs Syndrome in 1953 but through Camp Joy, a camp for kids with intellectu
Description (Brief)
Scrapbook page belonging to Special Olympian Marty Sheets is one of forty taken from various scrapbooks made by his family over the many years of Marty's Special Olympic career.
Marty Sheets was born with Downs Syndrome in 1953 but through Camp Joy, a camp for kids with intellectual disabilities, he found a love of sports. Invited to participate in the first International Special Olympic Games in Chicago in 1968, Marty formed a life long bond with founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver. Over the course of the next 40 years Sheets won over 250 medals while competing in golf, swimming, Alpine skiing, tennis and power lifting. His favorite sport was golf and In 2006, he was the PGA’s national volunteer of the year for his work at the Wyndham Championship in his hometown of Greensboro, N.C. He is also included in the portrait of Eunice Kennedy Shriver and other Special Olympians which now resides in the National Portrait Gallery collections.
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
1993
ID Number
2017.3064.05.13
nonaccession number
2017.3064
catalog number
2017.3064.05.13

Balto key chain

Wooden key chain designed by the donor, Jona Van Zyle, has an etched drawing of Balto, the famous lead sled dog for the 1925 Serum Run. The ‘Serum Run’ refers to the outbreak of diphtheria which hit Nome in 1925.
Description (Brief)
Wooden key chain designed by the donor, Jona Van Zyle, has an etched drawing of Balto, the famous lead sled dog for the 1925 Serum Run. The ‘Serum Run’ refers to the outbreak of diphtheria which hit Nome in 1925. The outbreak began just as the harbor at Nome was frozen over for the winter and while air travel was becoming more widespread in the Alaskan wilderness, the only plane available at the time had a frozen engine and was unable to fly. The Alaska Railroad was used to bring the needed anti-diphtheria serum north from Anchorage to Nenana; it traveled the last 700 miles to Nome through a chain of twenty sled dog teams in just over five days. This relay followed the old mail route along the Iditarod Trail. The sled dog teams included Leonhard Seppala and his lead dog Togo who traveled the longest leg of the relay handing off the serum to musher Gunner Kaasen and his lead dog Balto. It was Kaasen and Balto who arrived in Nome and delivered the much needed serum catapulting Balto into the history books as the most famous sled dog of all time.
Jon and Jona Van Zyle are both artists who live outside of Anchorage and have raised sled dogs for many years. Jon has been a supporter of the Iditarod since it beginnings and ran the race in 1976. Jon produced the first official poster for the Iditarod in 1977 which was such a huge success he was voted official artist of the Iditarod in 1979, a position he holds to this day. Jona also contributes her artistic talents to the race by designing logos for the Junior Iditarod and race cachets for the Iditarod and personal cachets for various mushers.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1999
artist
Van Zyle, Jona
ID Number
2014.0116.19
accession number
2014.0116
catalog number
2014.0116.20

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