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.

Lawn Dart Game

Lawn darts (also known as jarts) were a popular backyard lawn game during the 1980s. This lawn dart set sold by DP Superdarts is composed of three yellow darts and three red darts, with two plastic circles as targets.
Description
Lawn darts (also known as jarts) were a popular backyard lawn game during the 1980s. This lawn dart set sold by DP Superdarts is composed of three yellow darts and three red darts, with two plastic circles as targets.
ID Number
2014.3006.02.2
nonaccession number
2014.3006
catalog number
2014.3006.02.2

Harvardiana / Down the Field /Boola Boola; Princeton Tiger Gridiron March / Cannon Song

All-American Glee Club. side 1: Harvardiana (track 1) Down the Field/Boola Boola (track 2); side 2: Princeton Tiger Gridiron March (track 1) Cannon Song (track 2) (Victor 26670), from the album, College Songs, Vol. 1 - Eastern (Victor P 32).78 rpm.Currently not on view
Description
All-American Glee Club. side 1: Harvardiana (track 1) Down the Field/Boola Boola (track 2); side 2: Princeton Tiger Gridiron March (track 1) Cannon Song (track 2) (Victor 26670), from the album, College Songs, Vol. 1 - Eastern (Victor P 32).
78 rpm.
Location
Currently not on view
recording date
1940
manufacturer
Victor
ID Number
1988.0384.20
accession number
1988.0384
maker number
26670
catalog number
1988.0384.20
maker number
P 32

Duncan Butterfly Yo-Yo

This orange plastic “Duncan Butterfly” yo-yo was made Flambeau Products in the late 1990s. The Duncan Toys Company lost its trademark for the term “yo-yo” in 1965. The legal costs of the decision forced the company into bankruptcy.
Description (Brief)
This orange plastic “Duncan Butterfly” yo-yo was made Flambeau Products in the late 1990s. The Duncan Toys Company lost its trademark for the term “yo-yo” in 1965. The legal costs of the decision forced the company into bankruptcy. Flambeau, who had been making plastic yo-yos for Duncan since 1955, bought Duncan's name in 1968.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1990s
maker
Duncan
ID Number
2002.0246.44
accession number
2002.0246
catalog number
2002.0246.44

Peter Fish Glow "Pamela" Yo-Yo

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

Russell Ronald McDonald Championship Yo-Yo

This plastic yo-yo was made by the Jack Russell Company in the 1960s. It is yellow with red sides.
Description (Brief)
This plastic yo-yo was made by the Jack Russell Company in the 1960s. It is yellow with red sides. One side features a portrait of McDonald's Corporation mascot Ronald McDonald in white with the text ‘Ronald McDonald Championship.” The other side features McDonald's trademarked arches and the words “Genuine Russell Yo-Yo, McDonalds, Made in Argentine.”
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1960s
maker
Russell
ID Number
2002.0246.31
accession number
2002.0246
catalog number
2002.0246.31

Maine Stein Song / Hail to Old O.S.C.; Washington and Lee Swing / Glory to Old Georgia

Jan Garber and his Orchestra. side 1: Maine Stein Song [track 1] Hail to Old O.S.C. [track 2]; side 2: Washington and Lee Swing [track 1] Glory to Old Georgia [track 2] (Capitol 10143), from the album, College Medleys (Capitol CD-95).78 rpm.Currently not on view
Description
Jan Garber and his Orchestra. side 1: Maine Stein Song [track 1] Hail to Old O.S.C. [track 2]; side 2: Washington and Lee Swing [track 1] Glory to Old Georgia [track 2] (Capitol 10143), from the album, College Medleys (Capitol CD-95).
78 rpm.
Location
Currently not on view
release date
1948
recording artist
Jan Garber and His Orchestra
manufacturer
Capitol
ID Number
1981.0656.519
maker number
10143
CD-95
accession number
1981.0656
catalog number
1981.0656.519

Crowd of people at football(?) game

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
PG.67.88.00062
accession number
270586
catalog number
67.88.00062

Virva Rolleid preparing to throw javelin, Spartakiad, Moscow

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Larsen, Lisa
ID Number
1986.0711.0112
accession number
1986.0711
catalog number
1986.0711.0112

Indian Motorcycle

More than 280 motorcycle manufacturers have been recorded in the United States, but only two have had lasting significance or sold in large numbers. One, Harley Davidson, began production in 1903 and is still going strong today.
Description
More than 280 motorcycle manufacturers have been recorded in the United States, but only two have had lasting significance or sold in large numbers. One, Harley Davidson, began production in 1903 and is still going strong today. The other is Indian, which began in 1901 and ceased manufacturing motorcycles for the public in 1953.
By far the most individual and distinctive Indian models were produced in the 1940s; they are characterized by flared, skirted mudguards that convey a strong sense of speed even while standing still. So powerful is this style element that in 1999 Kawasaki copied it for its Drifter cruiser model. This 1941 stock Indian example sits squarely in this streamlined category.
Recreational motorcycle riding became increasingly popular during the Depression and early years of World War II. The number of local clubs chartered by the American Motorcyclist Association grew from about 400 in 1936 to 498 in 1938 and 645 in 1940. Indian motorcycle production grew from about 5,000 per year to 10,000 per year during the same period. Police departments also found motorcycles useful for patrol duty, and and small retail businesses used them for delivery purposes. The years 1940-1941 proved to be a high point for civilian sales and usage. The leading manufacturers, Harley-Davidson and Indian, began producing motorcycles for the British and French armies, and by 1942 they were concentrating on military production for the United States Army. During World War II, many motorcycle enthusiasts entered the armed forces, depleting clubs and reducing pleasure travel. Motorcycle tires, like automobile tires, were rationed. The AMA cancelled its National Gypsy Tour and other club events but automatically renewed memberships for those in the service.
William J. McDaniels of Ohio was the first owner of this motorcycle. Soon after purchasing it, he moved to San Bernardino, California, riding the motorcycle the entire distance. He worked at Norton Air Force Base near San Bernardino in the late 1940s.
The Indian brand name continues to resonate in the motorcycling industry. In the 1990s, three different companies were formed to purchase the rights to the name and begin manufacturing cruisers. But after a brief period (1999-2003), production ceased again.
Reference photograph courtesy of donors Katie and Taylor Smith.
date made
1941
maker
Indian Motorcycle Company
ID Number
2000.0070.01
accession number
2000.0070
catalog number
2000.0070.01

Duncan Butterfly Yo-Yo

This wooden butterfly yo-yo was made by the Duncan Toys Company from 1958-1965.
Description (Brief)
This wooden butterfly yo-yo was made by the Duncan Toys Company from 1958-1965. It is painted with a light blue glitter enamel paint, and has a stamped gold butterfly design with the words “Duncan Butterfly Yo-Yo.” Butterfly yo-yos have beveled rims tapering inward toward the axle to improve its string catching ability. Although the Duncan company lost its trademark on the term “Yo-Yo” it retains the trademark for“Butterfly.”
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1960s
maker
Duncan
ID Number
2002.0246.23
accession number
2002.0246
catalog number
2002.0246.23

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

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

Mechanical doll, “The Wonderful Creeping Baby”

With the turn of a key, this doll appears to crawl along a flat surface. Inside the doll’s body is a spring-driven brass mechanical movement that actuates the arms and legs in imitation of crawling.
Description
With the turn of a key, this doll appears to crawl along a flat surface. Inside the doll’s body is a spring-driven brass mechanical movement that actuates the arms and legs in imitation of crawling. But the doll actually rolls along on two concealed wheels.
Its date and place of manufacture are not known with certainty. The doll was based on two patents: No. 112,550 granted 14 March 1871 to Robert J. Clay of New York, N.Y.; and No. 118,435 granted 29 August 1871 to Clay’s associate George Pemberton Clarke. Clay’s firm, the Automatic Toy Company, was founded about 1870 and purchased by Edward Ives in 1874. With his brother-in-law Cornelius Blakeslee, Ives established a business for making clockwork toys in Bridgeport, Conn., that operated from 1872 to 1932.
The patent model for Clarke’s invention is also in the Smithsonian collections (catalog number 1984.0923.01).
This mechanical toy is part of a fascinating continuum of figures built to imitate human life. This long Western tradition stretches from ancient Greece through the mechanical automatons of the Enlightenment, through wind-up toys to contemporary robots and other machines with artificial intelligence.
date made
ca 1900
ID Number
2011.0204.01a
accession number
2011.0204
catalog number
2011.0204.01a

Buster Brown Yo-Yo

This steel whistling yo-yo with rounded sides and a metal axle was made in the 1960s. It has a yellow and green design with a graphic of comic strip character Buster Brown and his dog Tige. The characters were created in 1902 by cartoonist Richard Outcault.
Description (Brief)
This steel whistling yo-yo with rounded sides and a metal axle was made in the 1960s. It has a yellow and green design with a graphic of comic strip character Buster Brown and his dog Tige. The characters were created in 1902 by cartoonist Richard Outcault. This yo-yo advertises Buster Brown brand shoes
Date made
1960-1970
ID Number
2002.0246.05
accession number
2002.0246
catalog number
2002.0246.05

On Brave Old Army Team / Anchors Aweigh; Yale "Boola" Song / The Princeton Cannon Song

Jan Garber and his Orchestra. side 1: On Brave Old Army Song [track 1] Anchors Aweigh [track 2]; side 2: Yale "Boola Song" [track 1] The Princeton Cannon Song [track 2] (Capitol 10142), from the album, College Medleys (Capitol CD-95).78 rpm.Currently not on view
Description
Jan Garber and his Orchestra. side 1: On Brave Old Army Song [track 1] Anchors Aweigh [track 2]; side 2: Yale "Boola Song" [track 1] The Princeton Cannon Song [track 2] (Capitol 10142), from the album, College Medleys (Capitol CD-95).
78 rpm.
Location
Currently not on view
release date
1948
recording artist
Jan Garber and His Orchestra
manufacturer
Capitol
ID Number
1981.0656.518
maker number
10142
CD-95
accession number
1981.0656
catalog number
1981.0656.518

Bowl

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1923
date used
1936 to 1960s
ID Number
1984.0331.08
accession number
1984.0331
catalog number
1984.0331.08

Salt Shaker

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1923
date used
1936 to 1960s
maker
Beetleware Corporation
ID Number
1984.0331.12
accession number
1984.0331
catalog number
1984.0331.12

Crowd of people at football(?) game

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
PG.67.88.00063
accession number
270586
catalog number
67.88.00063

College Songs, Vol. 1 - Eastern

Various artists. College Songs, Vol. 1 – Eastern (Victor P 32). 3-disc set (album for 1988.0384.19 - .21).78 rpmCurrently not on view
Description

Various artists. College Songs, Vol. 1 – Eastern (Victor P 32). 3-disc set (album for 1988.0384.19 - .21).
78 rpm

Location
Currently not on view
release date
1940
manufacturer
Victor
ID Number
1988.0384.18
accession number
1988.0384
maker number
P-32
catalog number
1988.0384.18

"Sports and Joys of Spring"

This sheet music is for for the song, "The Sports and Joys of Fishing” by "Bung." It was published by C. H. Keith in Boston, Massachusetts in 1854. As indicated on the cover, this was a "humorous song as sung by Ossian’s Bards."Currently not on view
Description
This sheet music is for for the song, "The Sports and Joys of Fishing” by "Bung." It was published by C. H. Keith in Boston, Massachusetts in 1854. As indicated on the cover, this was a "humorous song as sung by Ossian’s Bards."
Location
Currently not on view
publishing date
1854
publisher
C. H. Keith
ID Number
1986.0512.03
accession number
1986.0512
catalog number
1986.0512.03

California / U.C.L.A.; University Of Oregon / Oregon State

All-American Glee Club. side 1: All Hail, Blue and Gold/Hail to California (track 1) Rally Song/Sgtand Up for Blue and Gold (track 2) ; side 2: Mighty Oregon (track 1) Hail to O.S.C./Alma Mater (track 2) (Victor 26686), from the album, "College Songs, Vol.
Description
All-American Glee Club. side 1: All Hail, Blue and Gold/Hail to California (track 1) Rally Song/Sgtand Up for Blue and Gold (track 2) ; side 2: Mighty Oregon (track 1) Hail to O.S.C./Alma Mater (track 2) (Victor 26686), from the album, "College Songs, Vol. 4 - Pacific Coast" (Victor P 36).
78 rpm.
Location
Currently not on view
recording date
1940
manufacturer
Victor
ID Number
1988.0384.28
accession number
1988.0384
maker number
26686
catalog number
1988.0384.28

Italian Yo-Yo Pin

This pin was made in Italy by the Duncan Toys Company during the 1950s. It is metal, shield-shaped, and colored red, blue, and silver. It reads “Coca-Cola, Yo-Yo Duncan Esperto,” (Coca-Cola Duncan Yo-Yo Expert.)Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
This pin was made in Italy by the Duncan Toys Company during the 1950s. It is metal, shield-shaped, and colored red, blue, and silver. It reads “Coca-Cola, Yo-Yo Duncan Esperto,” (Coca-Cola Duncan Yo-Yo Expert.)
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1950s
maker
Duncan
ID Number
2002.0246.62
accession number
2002.0246
catalog number
2002.0246.62

Playmaxx 1993 World Championship Yo-Yo

This plastic yo-yo was made by Playmaxx, Inc. in 1993. It has a black body with indented flat sides. There is a graphic of a red, white and blue shield on both halves.
Description (Brief)
This plastic yo-yo was made by Playmaxx, Inc. in 1993. It has a black body with indented flat sides. There is a graphic of a red, white and blue shield on both halves. The yo-yo reads “The Nations Top Yo-Yo Players Meet in Chico California, The 1993 National Yo-Yo Championship.” The yo-yo commemorates the first modern national yo-yo championship in the United States.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1993
maker
Playmaxx
ID Number
2002.0246.39
accession number
2002.0246
catalog number
2002.0246.39

Hand-Carved Yo-Yo

This dark brown wooden hand-carved yo-yo has a floral design and is marked “1951” and "TONY FRANK." Demonstrators carved yo-yos as awards for contest winners during the 1940s and 1950s.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
This dark brown wooden hand-carved yo-yo has a floral design and is marked “1951” and "TONY FRANK." Demonstrators carved yo-yos as awards for contest winners during the 1940s and 1950s.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1951
ID Number
2002.0246.09
accession number
2002.0246
catalog number
2002.0246.09

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