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.

Place: New York

USA vs. USSR - men's basketball

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1973
photographer
Regan, Ken
ID Number
2014.0112.017
catalog number
2014.0112.017
accession number
2014.0112

Bat used by Yogi Berra, New York Yankees

The son of Italian-immigrants, Lawrence Peter Berra was born in St. Louis, MO in 1925. Berra got his famous nickname "yogi" as a teen, based on his resemblance to an Indian yogi seen on film. In 1946, following three years of service in the U.S.
Description
The son of Italian-immigrants, Lawrence Peter Berra was born in St. Louis, MO in 1925. Berra got his famous nickname "yogi" as a teen, based on his resemblance to an Indian yogi seen on film. In 1946, following three years of service in the U.S. Navy, Berra began his long tenure as catcher for the New York Yankees, a run that lasted until 1963. Berra finished his career coaching and playing one season with the New York Mets (1965.) Afterward, Berra would serve as a manager for both New York clubs, with the Yankees in 1964, and again in 1984-1985, and with the Mets from 1972-1975.
Am accomplished hitter, Berra finished his career with a .285 batting average, hitting 358 home runs and 1,430 runs batted in. The 5'7 catcher was also a defensive workhouse, often leading the League in innings caught and working with the Yankees stellar pitching staff. For his abilities both at bat and behind the plate, Berra would win three American League MVP Trophies, and helping lead the Yankees to ten World Series titles. (1947, 1949-53, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1962.) In all, Berra participated in 21 World Series during his career as a player and coach. An 18 time All-Star, Berra was named to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.
Berra was beloved for uttering unique philosophical malapropisms that became known as yogi-isms" Phrases coined by Berra such as it aint over till its over and it's like déjà vu all over again have gone on to become staples of American vernacular.
Berra died in 2015 at the age of 90.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1957
user
Berra, Yogi
maker
Hillerich & Bradsby Co.
ID Number
2017.0084.08
model number
R43
accession number
2017.0084
catalog number
2017.0084.08

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

Photograph of Ben Levine at the Calvert Banquet

Black and white photograph of Ben Levine seated at a table with officials of the A.A.U. and New York Newspaper sportwriters, at the Calvert banquet, September 17, 1937. List of the names of the attendees handwritten on the back of the photograph.
Description (Brief)
Black and white photograph of Ben Levine seated at a table with officials of the A.A.U. and New York Newspaper sportwriters, at the Calvert banquet, September 17, 1937. List of the names of the attendees handwritten on the back of the photograph. There are 14 men in the photograph. Levine was a participant in the development of amateur sports competition from 1902 as a boy of 13 when he went to work for James Sullivan, President of the Amateur Athletic Union until his retirement from the A.A.U. in 1968. Levine's primary contribution was to Amateur boxing, which he first promoted prior to 1920. He staged the first Golden Gloves and was the Assistant Manager of te U.S. Boxing teams at the 1924 and 1928 Olympic Games and an international jurist in boxing at the Olympics in 1932.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1937
depicted (sitter)
Levine, Ben
ID Number
1991.0049.33
accession number
1991.0049
catalog number
1991.0049.33

The Professor (dish washing machine)

Camera-ready pen and ink drawing by Rube Goldberg for his comic invention series The Inventions of Professor Lucifer Gorgonzola Butts.
Description
Camera-ready pen and ink drawing by Rube Goldberg for his comic invention series The Inventions of Professor Lucifer Gorgonzola Butts. Goldberg drew for the series between 1914 and 1964.
Cartoon text: The Professor turns on his think-faucet and dopes out a machine for washing dishes while you are at the movies. When spoiled tomcat (A) discovers he is alone he lets out a yell which scares mouse (B) into jumping into basket (C), causing lever end (D) to rise and pull string (E) which snaps automatic cigar lighter (F). Flame (G) starts fire springler (H). Water runs on dishes (I) and drips into sink (J). Turtle (K), thinking he hears babbling brook babbling, and having no sense of direction, starts wrong way and pulls string (L), which turns on switch (M) that starts electric glow heater (N). Heat ray (O) dries the dishes. If the cat and the turtle get on to your scheme and refuse to cooperate, simply put the dishes on the front porch and pray for rain.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
Undated
original artist
Goldberg, Rube
publisher
King Features Syndicate
ID Number
GA.23488
catalog number
23488
accession number
1972.299186

Professor Butts (can opener)

Camera-ready pen and ink drawing by Rube Goldberg dated July 27, 1929 for his comic invention series The Inventions of Professor Lucifer Gorgonzola Butts.
Description
Camera-ready pen and ink drawing by Rube Goldberg dated July 27, 1929 for his comic invention series The Inventions of Professor Lucifer Gorgonzola Butts. Goldberg drew for the series between 1914 and 1964.
Cartoon text: Professor Butts falls on his head and dopes out a simplified can-opener while he is still groggy. Go outside and call up your home. When phone bell rings, maid (A) mistakes it for an alarm clock - she awakens and stretches, pulling cord (B) which raises end of ladle (C). Ball (D) drops into net (E) causing golf club (F) to swing against ball (G), making a clean drive and upsetting milk can (H). Milk spills into glass (I) and the weight pulls switch on radio (J). Waltzing mice (K) hearing music and proceed to dance, causing revolving apparatus (L) to spin and turn. Spikes (M) scratch tail of pet dragon (N) who in anger emits fire igniting acetylene torch (O) and burning off top of tomato can (P) as it rotates. When not opening cans, the dragon can always be kept busy chasing away income tax investigators and prohibition officers.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1929
July 27, 1929
original artist
Goldberg, Rube
publisher
King Features Syndicate
ID Number
GA.23485
catalog number
23485
accession number
1972.299186

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