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.

Topic: Professional

Color photograph of the four derby girls at the East Coast Derby Extravaganza, 2008

Color photograph of the four derby girls at the East Coast Derby Extravaganza, 2008 taken by Andreanna Seymore the official photographer for USA Roller Derby at the First World Cup in Toronto, Canada, 2011.
Description (Brief)
Color photograph of the four derby girls at the East Coast Derby Extravaganza, 2008 taken by Andreanna Seymore the official photographer for USA Roller Derby at the First World Cup in Toronto, Canada, 2011. Seymore is a freelance photographer who joined the Hellions of Troy in 2008 and became a member of the close knit, roller derby community.
Modern roller derby began in 2001 after four teams were formed and founded under the Bad Girls Good Women Productions name. In 2002, the Texas Rollergirls were formed from 65 members of the first BGGW teams after a disagreement over management practices caused a permanent split. BGGW took the remaining 15 skaters and became the TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls forming a banked track league. The flat track derby uses a not-for-profit organizational model with skaters running the leagues and using their own money to buy rink time, produce tournaments, print programs and putting any money earned back into the organization.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2008
ID Number
2016.3110.06
nonaccession number
2016.3110
catalog number
2016.3110.06

League MVP trophy awarded to Sparkle Plenty

League MVP trophy awarded to Sparkle Plenty aka Rachelle Moore of the Texas Rollergirls, 2008. Modern roller derby began in 2001 after four teams were formed and founded under the Bad Girls Good Women Productions (BGGW) name.
Description (Brief)
League MVP trophy awarded to Sparkle Plenty aka Rachelle Moore of the Texas Rollergirls, 2008. Modern roller derby began in 2001 after four teams were formed and founded under the Bad Girls Good Women Productions (BGGW) name. In 2002, the Texas Rollergirls were formed from 65 members of the first BGGW teams after a disagreement over management practices caused a permanent split. BGGW took the remaining 15 skaters and became the TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls forming a banked track league. The flat track derby uses a not-for-profit organizational model with skaters running the leagues and using their own money to buy rink time, produce tournaments, print programs and putting any money earned back into the organization.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2008
ID Number
2016.0190.02
accession number
2016.0190
catalog number
2016.0190.02

Helmet worn by Andy Granatelli at Daytona Beach, 1960

Helmet worn by Andy Granatelli at Daytona Beach in 1960.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Helmet worn by Andy Granatelli at Daytona Beach in 1960.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1960
ID Number
2017.0092.04
accession number
2017.0092
catalog number
2017.0092.04

Lead Dog "Badger" 2012 Iditarod sports card

2012 Iditarod sports card of lead dog, Badger, sponsored by Happy Trails Kennel which is owned and operated by musher, Martin Buser. Buser emigrated to Alaska from Switzerland in 1979 and opened his sled dog breeding and training facility, the Happy Trails Kennel.
Description (Brief)
2012 Iditarod sports card of lead dog, Badger, sponsored by Happy Trails Kennel which is owned and operated by musher, Martin Buser. Buser emigrated to Alaska from Switzerland in 1979 and opened his sled dog breeding and training facility, the Happy Trails Kennel. Buser chooses dogs from sprint racing champions and breeds them with dogs that are athletically well built and then trains them for long distance races such as the Iditarod. He had many skeptics in the beginning but has run in every Iditarod since 1986, winning four times so he must be doing something right. Buser has won the Leonhard Seppala Award for the most humanitarian care of his dogs in 1988, 1993, 1995, 1997, and 2014.
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
2012
ID Number
2013.3036.29
nonaccession number
2013.3036
catalog number
2013.3036.29

Honorary Member medal awarded by the Formula 5000 Registry presented to Leonard W. Miller, 2009

Honorary Member medal awarded by the Formula 5000 Registry presented to Leonard W. Miller, 2009.
Description (Brief)
Honorary Member medal awarded by the Formula 5000 Registry presented to Leonard W. Miller, 2009. This was awarded by the Formula 5000 Registry president, Sebastian Coppola for Miller's historical achievements in Formula 5000 auto racing including entering a Lola T-332 race car driven by African American driver, Benny Scott. Scott was the first African American to drive in the 1975 inaugural Long Beach Grand Prix, Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, CA and Riverside International Raceway, Riverside, CA.
In 1969, Len Miller and his brother Dexter for Miller Racing to race hot rods on the drag racing circuit in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and the Northeast. With success on the racetrack he formed Vanguard Racing in 1972 and was the first African American to enter a car in the Indianapolis 500. He then went on to found the Black American Racers Association in 1973. The goal of the organization was to “unify African-American drivers in all types of racing – stock car, open wheel, and drag racing -- pave the way for greater success and introduce race fans to African-American’s history in motorsports.”
Later that same year the Black American Racers, Inc. (BAR) was formed with Benny Scott as their second generation African-American driver. Also in 1973, BAR became the first team to have an African American driver compete in England. In 1975, BAR driver Benny Scott would break the color barrier at the Long Beach Grand Prix, when the team entered a Formula 5000 car in the inaugural race. Len and Benny Scott were inducted into the Black Athletes Hall of Fame for their achievements in motorsports in 1976. In 1978, BAR experienced a setback when their driver Tommy Thompson was killed in an accident at the Trenton Speedway. Many of the team members took a break after this tragedy and in the 1980s the team turned toward stock car racing.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2009
user
Miller, Leonard W.
ID Number
2016.0359.15
accession number
2016.0359
catalog number
2016.0359.15

Proof page for the book "It's Not About Pretty - A Book About Radical Skater Girls"

Proof page for the book "It's Not About Pretty - A Book About Radical Skater Girls" written by Cindy Whitehead and Ian Logan that includes author, photographer and editors notations before final publication.
Description (Brief)
Proof page for the book "It's Not About Pretty - A Book About Radical Skater Girls" written by Cindy Whitehead and Ian Logan that includes author, photographer and editors notations before final publication. Whitehead began skateboarding at age 15 and had turned pro by the time she was 17, something girls were not doing in the mid-1970s. She became one of the only girls skating both pool and half pipe and is the only girl ever to be featured in a two page article with a photo spread in the center of a skateboarding magazine. Whitehead retired from skateboarding at 22 but still skates and has remained in the sports arena as a sport stylist, an occupation she created.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2017
2016
ID Number
2017.0044.02.71
accession number
2017.0044
catalog number
2017.0044.02.71

T-shirt worn by professional skateboarder Leo Baker

White short sleeve t-shirt cut off at the bottom with a black line drawing of a rose printed on the front of the shirt. Baker, a graphic designer, designed this rose logo for her boards and apparel.
Description (Brief)
White short sleeve t-shirt cut off at the bottom with a black line drawing of a rose printed on the front of the shirt. Baker, a graphic designer, designed this rose logo for her boards and apparel. Leo Baker began skating at an early age, winning bronze at the 2006 X-Games at 15. It took 8 years to finally win gold but when they did, it was on their own terms, as a queer skater. Baker went on to win the Street League Skateboarding Super Crown World Championship in 2016 but it was 2017 that proved to be a pivotal year for Baker. Earning a spot on the Nike team, creating the first women’s skate shoe for Nike SB, quitting their day job as a graphic designer and moving to New York City whose ‘melting pot of communities feels like the right fit,’ are just a few changes they made once they dedicated themself, full time, to skate. They are sponsored by Meow Skateboards, a company owned by women, representing women skaters which Baker hopes is a growing entity in the sport.
Baker is also involved with Brian Anderson and his Cave Homo zine which they say, “helped me feel validated and seen for who I am beyond my skateboarding identity. That’s really important for me, because for a long time the industry wanted to shape me in a way that wasn’t me.” Wanting to keeptheir long blonde hair and be ‘more feminine’ were the stereotypes Baker could not represent as a queer skater and while leaving sponsors could be devastating to skaters, they refused to compromise their integrity and it has paid off immensely. Baker relates, “To be unapologetic about my image and who I am and then to have people acknowledge how important that is in the skate industry… I can’t even describe how that feels. To bring together girls who skate, queers who skate… and let those worlds collide. I’m lucky to be here.”
Skate is still working on its acceptance of gay or queer skaters but many of the girls who Baker skates with are queer or gay and her guy friends didn’t care if they were gay, so they felt accepted although their male counterparts deal with a “toxic masculinity” where there is a greater need to be masculine. Their hope for inclusion is contagious, “I would love to just carve out a bigger space for women who skate, and queer people who skate and gender non-conforming people… and just like, really open up that space for people like me, and people that understand what it’s like to experience life this way.”
Location
Currently not on view
user
Baker, Leo
ID Number
2018.0276.08
accession number
2018.0276
catalog number
2018.0276.08

Color photograph of David Handel with Elizabeth Handel and Lindsey Gucciardo and the handmade Stanley Cup trophy

Color photograph of the donor's husband, David Handel, with Elizabeth Handel and Lindsey Gucciardo in front of the Smithsonian Institution castle holding the handmade Stanley Cup trophy at the June12, 2018 parade for the Stanley Cup Champion, Washington Capitals.Curators often at
Description (Brief)
Color photograph of the donor's husband, David Handel, with Elizabeth Handel and Lindsey Gucciardo in front of the Smithsonian Institution castle holding the handmade Stanley Cup trophy at the June12, 2018 parade for the Stanley Cup Champion, Washington Capitals.
Curators often attend events in order to collect objects that pertain to a particular event. In this case, fan paraphernalia was collected from the Washington Capitals Stanley Cup Parade celebration in 2019 to document the whole sports experience. Fan objects can tell quite a story about the fan, the team, the sport and what’s happening in society at a particular time. It also speaks to what the user or maker of that object was feeling at the time. Why did they carry that particular object on that particular day. This trophy was born from superstition, to visualize the Cup and perhaps a win for the Captials in their first Stanley Cup playoff appearance in 2008. The photographs document the family's use of this prop throughout the years and their level of dedication to their team.
The Washington Capitals were founded in 1974 as an expansion team and are a member of the Metropolitan Division of the eastern Conference in the National Hockey League. They played at the Capitals Center in Landover, Maryland until 1997 when they made the move to the Verizon Center located in the heart of Washington, DC. Ted Leonsis bought the team in 1999, drafted high profile players and began winning. Since 2009 the Capitals have won eleven division titles, three President’s trophies and in 2018, finally won the elusive Stanley Cup Championship.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2009
referenced
Washington Capitals
ID Number
2019.0096.08
accession number
2019.0096
catalog number
2019.0096.08

Fire suit worn by NASCAR driver, Jeff Gordon during the 2005 NASCAR Cup Series season

Fire suit worn by NASCAR driver, Jeff Gordon during the 2005 race season is a dark blue and red one piece uniform with a zipper and velcro front. The uniform was made by Sparco one of the leading manufacturers of race uniforms in the world.
Description (Brief)
Fire suit worn by NASCAR driver, Jeff Gordon during the 2005 race season is a dark blue and red one piece uniform with a zipper and velcro front. The uniform was made by Sparco one of the leading manufacturers of race uniforms in the world. The fire suit is a standard piece of equipment for all NASCAR drivers to insulate the driver’s skin from fire and still be comfortable and was custom made for Jeff Gordon. This fire suit represents the innovations in material and manufacturing techniques of the mid 2000s.
This suit uses three separate layers of fabric, sewn in a quilting pattern with fire resistant thread to allow pockets of air within the layers to protect the driver’s skin from heat. It also represents a fire rating system that determines how long the suit will protect the wearer from 2nd degree burns – this suit will protect the wearer for 40 seconds of flame exposure before burns will occur.
Jeff Gordon began racing quarter midget cars at age 5 and in 1991, he won rookie of the year driving the Carolina Ford Dealers car and the next year racing the Nestle Baby Ruth car, he won at the Atlanta Motor Speedway and was noticed by Rick Hendrick. Gordon became a member of Hendricks Motorsports, one of racing’s premier racing teams. Gordon would go on to become one of the best drivers in NASCAR history. He is 3rd on the all-time win list and has earned 93 NASCAR victories. He is a four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion for the years 1995, 1997, 1998 and 2001. He won the Daytona 500 in 1997, 1999 and in 2005. He was a five-time Brickyard 500 winner for the years 1994, 1998, 2001, 2004 and 2014 and a 7-time winner at Darlington Raceway, in 1995, the spring and fall of 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002 and 2007.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2005
ID Number
2017.0272.01
accession number
2017.0272
catalog number
2017.0272.01

Future Primitive VHS tape

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1985
ID Number
2022.0065.02
accession number
2022.0065
catalog number
2022.0065.02

Advertisement for Prom snowboard outerwear company with Shannon Dunn and Tina Basich

Advertisement for Prom snowboard outerwear company designed by Shannon Dunn and Tina Basich depicts Dunn and Basich in prom dresses looking up at the camera.
Description (Brief)
Advertisement for Prom snowboard outerwear company designed by Shannon Dunn and Tina Basich depicts Dunn and Basich in prom dresses looking up at the camera. Dunn’s direct involvement in the design and production of these women specific products was instrumental in moving the sport forward for women and girl’s continued participation. Her snowboarding clothing line opened the sport up by providing gender specific fashion to the masses. More companies began offering women specific products allowing for growth in the sport as well as the snow sports industry.
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
ID Number
2021.0071.08
accession number
2021.0071
catalog number
2021.0071.08

WCMX wheechair used by Aaron 'Wheelz' Fotheringham during Nitro Circus performances

WCMX wheelchair used by Aaron 'Wheelz' Fotheringham during Nitro Circus performances and to kick off the 2016 Paralympic Summer Games in Rio. The chair is neon green metal with chrome accents, a neon green plastic bucket section and black rubber wheels.
Description (Brief)
WCMX wheelchair used by Aaron 'Wheelz' Fotheringham during Nitro Circus performances and to kick off the 2016 Paralympic Summer Games in Rio. The chair is neon green metal with chrome accents, a neon green plastic bucket section and black rubber wheels. There are shock absorbers located on each side. A black and white 'Aaron [/] Wheelz' sticker and a 'Box Wheel Chair' logo is embossed in white are located on the bucket of the chair. A separate blue cushion sits on the chair seat area. This Mega Ramp WCMX wheelchair was designed by Mike Box for jumping big ramps.
ID Number
2020.0009.01
catalog number
2020.0009.01
accession number
2020.0009

Program for the Texas Rollergirls Rock n Rollerderby

Program for the Texas Rollergirls Rock n Rollerderby, Desert Rival Revival Flat Track Derby between the Texecutioners vs the Tucson Saddletramps. Modern roller derby began in 2001 after four teams were formed and founded under the Bad Girls Good Women Productions (BGGW) name.
Description (Brief)
Program for the Texas Rollergirls Rock n Rollerderby, Desert Rival Revival Flat Track Derby between the Texecutioners vs the Tucson Saddletramps. Modern roller derby began in 2001 after four teams were formed and founded under the Bad Girls Good Women Productions (BGGW) name. In 2002, the Texas Rollergirls were formed from 65 members of the first BGGW teams after a disagreement over management practices caused a permanent split. BGGW took the remaining 15 skaters and became the TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls forming a banked track league. The flat track derby uses a not-for-profit organizational model with skaters running the leagues and using their own money to buy rink time, produce tournaments, print programs and putting any money earned back into the organization.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
2016.0189.12
accession number
2016.0189
catalog number
2016.0189.12

Helmet worn by Andy Granatelli while trying to set land speed records at El Mingo and the Bonneville Salt Flats, 1984

Helmet worn by Andy Granatelli while trying to set land speed records at El Mingo and the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1984.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Helmet worn by Andy Granatelli while trying to set land speed records at El Mingo and the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1984.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1984
maker
Bell Helmets
ID Number
2017.0092.06
accession number
2017.0092
catalog number
2017.0092.06

Proof page for the book "It's Not About Pretty - A Book About Radical Skater Girls"

Proof page for the book "It's Not About Pretty - A Book About Radical Skater Girls" written by Cindy Whitehead and Ian Logan that includes author, photographer and editors notations before final publication.
Description (Brief)
Proof page for the book "It's Not About Pretty - A Book About Radical Skater Girls" written by Cindy Whitehead and Ian Logan that includes author, photographer and editors notations before final publication. Whitehead began skateboarding at age 15 and had turned pro by the time she was 17, something girls were not doing in the mid-1970s. She became one of the only girls skating both pool and half pipe and is the only girl ever to be featured in a two page article with a photo spread in the center of a skateboarding magazine. Whitehead retired from skateboarding at 22 but still skates and has remained in the sports arena as a sport stylist, an occupation she created.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2017
2016
ID Number
2017.0044.02.49
accession number
2017.0044
catalog number
2017.0044.02.49

Quartermaster Drag Racing Team, Legends Award presented to Leonard W. Miller

Quartermaster Drag Racing Team, Legends Award presented to Leonard W. Miller in 1999 for his contribution to drag racing.
Description (Brief)
Quartermaster Drag Racing Team, Legends Award presented to Leonard W. Miller in 1999 for his contribution to drag racing. QDRT with its hundreds of members, recognized Miller's African American racing efforts in the golden era of drag racing in the 1960s through the early 1970s.
Miller Brothers Racing was founded by Miller, his brother, Dexter, and driver Kenny Wright. Wright piloted Miller Bros. 1955 Chevrolet station wagon to numerous wins, including the New jersey State Championship on August 19, 1970. Wright became an integral member of Miller's Black American Racers, Inc. (BAR) as a mechanic competing in professional road racing across North America. QDRT identified Miller as an African American legend, advancing from drag racing to team principal of a Formula 5000 Grand Prix auto racing team on the world stage under the BAR banner in less than a decade.
In 1969, Len Miller and his brother Dexter for Miller Racing to race hot rods on the drag racing circuit in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and the Northeast. With success on the racetrack he formed Vanguard Racing in 1972 and was the first African American to enter a car in the Indianapolis 500. He then went on to found the Black American Racers Association in 1973. The goal of the organization was to “unify African-American drivers in all types of racing – stock car, open wheel, and drag racing -- pave the way for greater success and introduce race fans to African-American’s history in motorsports.”
Later that same year the Black American Racers, Inc. (BAR) was formed with Benny Scott as their second generation African-American driver. Also in 1973, BAR became the first team to have an African American driver compete in England. In 1975, BAR driver Benny Scott would break the color barrier at the Long Beach Grand Prix, when the team entered a Formula 5000 car in the inaugural race. Len and Benny Scott were inducted into the Black Athletes Hall of Fame for their achievements in motorsports in 1976. In 1978, BAR experienced a setback when their driver Tommy Thompson was killed in an accident at the Trenton Speedway. Many of the team members took a break after this tragedy and in the 1980s the team turned toward stock car racing.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1999
user
Miller, Leonard W.
ID Number
2016.0359.22
accession number
2016.0359
catalog number
2016.0359.22

Neck gator worn by Indy car driver John Mahler during the 1979-1980 season

Nomex neck gator worn by Indy car driver John Mahler during the 1979-1980 season. The nomex neck gator is white and covers the neck area in between the driver's helmet and his suit. Mahler was a driver for Leonard W. Miller's Vanguard Racing, Inc.
Description (Brief)
Nomex neck gator worn by Indy car driver John Mahler during the 1979-1980 season. The nomex neck gator is white and covers the neck area in between the driver's helmet and his suit. Mahler was a driver for Leonard W. Miller's Vanguard Racing, Inc. in 1972 and a team mate to Vanguard's African American driver, Benny Scott. Mahler, a white driver, competed in the 1972 Indianapolis 500 as the driver for Vanguard Inc. making Vanguard the first African American owned team to enter a car in the Indianapolis 500. Vanguard Racing Inc. would reorganize as Black American Racers Inc., an African American auto racing team founded in 1973 by Leonard W. Miller, Wendell Scott, Ron Hines and Malcolm Durham, who were members of the Black American Racers Association (BARA). The goal of BARA was to organize African-American drivers, mechanics, engineers, crew members and owners in stock car, open wheel and drag racing, and pave the way for greater success for African Americans in motor sports.
Location
Currently not on view
user
Mahler, John
ID Number
2016.0353.05
accession number
2016.0353
catalog number
2016.0353.05

Leonard W. Miller's license plate from his 1940 Ford Club Coupe Convertible hot rod, 1953

Leonard W. Miller's license plate from his 1940 Ford Club Coupe Convertible hot rod which he owned at West Chester State Teacher's College in 1953.
Description (Brief)
Leonard W. Miller's license plate from his 1940 Ford Club Coupe Convertible hot rod which he owned at West Chester State Teacher's College in 1953. The hot rod was the genesis of his interest in fielding a professional African American auto racing team.
In 1969, Len Miller and his brother Dexter for Miller Racing to race hot rods on the drag racing circuit in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and the Northeast. With success on the racetrack he formed Vanguard Racing in 1972 and was the first African American to enter a car in the Indianapolis 500. He then went on to found the Black American Racers Association in 1973. The goal of the organization was to “unify African-American drivers in all types of racing – stock car, open wheel, and drag racing -- pave the way for greater success and introduce race fans to African-American’s history in motorsports.”
Later that same year the Black American Racers, Inc. (BAR) was formed with Benny Scott as their second generation African-American driver. Also in 1973, BAR became the first team to have an African American driver compete in England. In 1975, BAR driver Benny Scott would break the color barrier at the Long Beach Grand Prix, when the team entered a Formula 5000 car in the inaugural race. Len and Benny Scott were inducted into the Black Athletes Hall of Fame for their achievements in motorsports in 1976. In 1978, BAR experienced a setback when their driver Tommy Thompson was killed in an accident at the Trenton Speedway. Many of the team members took a break after this tragedy and in the 1980s the team turned toward stock car racing.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1953
user
Miller, Leonard W.
ID Number
2016.3189.29
nonaccession number
2016.3189
catalog number
2016.3189.29

Trophy for Athlete of the Month awarded to Andy Granatelli for setting a land speed record at Daytona Beach in February of 1961

Trophy for Athlete of the Month awarded to Andy Granatelli for setting a land speed record at Daytona Beach in February of 1961.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Trophy for Athlete of the Month awarded to Andy Granatelli for setting a land speed record at Daytona Beach in February of 1961.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1961
ID Number
2017.0092.09
accession number
2017.0092
catalog number
2017.0092.09

Postcard for the Texas Rollergirls vs the Tuscon Saddletramps, 2005

Postcard for the Texas Rollergirls vs the Tucson Saddletramps is for a match on Saturday, December 3rd, 2005. Modern roller derby began in 2001 after four teams were formed and founded under the Bad Girls Good Women Productions (BGGW) name.
Description (Brief)
Postcard for the Texas Rollergirls vs the Tucson Saddletramps is for a match on Saturday, December 3rd, 2005. Modern roller derby began in 2001 after four teams were formed and founded under the Bad Girls Good Women Productions (BGGW) name. In 2002, the Texas Rollergirls were formed from 65 members of the first BGGW teams after a disagreement over management practices caused a permanent split. BGGW took the remaining 15 skaters and became the TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls forming a banked track league. The flat track derby uses a not-for-profit organizational model with skaters running the leagues and using their own money to buy rink time, produce tournaments, print programs and putting any money earned back into the organization.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2005
ID Number
2016.0189.06.1
accession number
2016.0189
catalog number
2016.0189.06.1

Boston Red Hat, worn by Ted Williams

Ted WilliamsTheodore "Ted" Williams (1918-2002) played left-field for the Boston Red Sox from 1939-1960.
Description
Ted Williams
Theodore "Ted" Williams (1918-2002) played left-field for the Boston Red Sox from 1939-1960. His career was interrupted by military service in the Second World War (1943-1945) and Korea (1952-1953.) At the end of his playing days, Williams managed the Washington Senators/Texas Rangers. (1969-1972.)
A native Californian, "Teddy Ballgame" left baseball as one of the sports all-time greatest hitters, finishing his career with a remarkable .344 career batting average. Williams remains the last player to hit for over .400 in a season, a feat he accomplished in 1941. The six time American League (AL) batting champion and four time RBI leader not only hit for average, but for power as well, leading the league in home runs four times. He twice achieved baseball's "triple crown," leading the league in all three major offensive categories (1942& 1947.)
Williams served as an aviator in the U.S. military, finding himself in active combat during the Korean War. In 1953 his plane was hit by enemy fire and forced to crash-land.
Williams was twice named the AL Most Valuable Player and was selected to 19 All-Star Games. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966, and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George H.W. Bush in 1991.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1950-1960
user
Williams, Ted
maker
Tim McAuliffe Incorporated
ID Number
2017.0084.01
accession number
2017.0084
catalog number
2017.0084.01

Proof page for the book "It's Not About Pretty - A Book About Radical Skater Girls"

Proof page for the book "It's Not About Pretty - A Book About Radical Skater Girls" written by Cindy Whitehead and Ian Logan that includes author, photographer and editors notations before final publication.
Description (Brief)
Proof page for the book "It's Not About Pretty - A Book About Radical Skater Girls" written by Cindy Whitehead and Ian Logan that includes author, photographer and editors notations before final publication. Whitehead began skateboarding at age 15 and had turned pro by the time she was 17, something girls were not doing in the mid-1970s. She became one of the only girls skating both pool and half pipe and is the only girl ever to be featured in a two page article with a photo spread in the center of a skateboarding magazine. Whitehead retired from skateboarding at 22 but still skates and has remained in the sports arena as a sport stylist, an occupation she created.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2017
2016
ID Number
2017.0044.02.07
accession number
2017.0044
catalog number
2017.0044.02.07

Glove used by Brooks Robinson, Baltimore Orioles

Third baseman Brooks Robinson (b. 1937) was known as "The Human Vacuum Cleaner" for his outstanding ability to collect balls hit his way.
Description
Third baseman Brooks Robinson (b. 1937) was known as "The Human Vacuum Cleaner" for his outstanding ability to collect balls hit his way. Winning a record tying sixteen consecutive Gold Glove Awards as the best defenseman at his position, the native Arkansan played his entire Major League career with the Baltimore Orioles (1955-1977.)
An 18 time All-Star, Robinson won the American League Most Valuable Player award in 1964, a year he led the league with 118 runs batted in. The Orioles made four World Series appearances in Robinson's time with the team, winning two (1966 and 1970,) taking home World Series MVP honors in the latter.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1974
user
Robinson, Brooks
maker
Rawlings
ID Number
2017.0084.04
model number
XFLGH
accession number
2017.0084
catalog number
2017.0084.04

Pro model skateboard designed and used by professional skateboarder Nora Vasconcellos in June 2018

Pro model skateboard, produced by Welcome Skateboards and designed and used by professional skateboarder Nora Vasconcellos in June 2018 while touring through Portugal and Spain.
Description (Brief)
Pro model skateboard, produced by Welcome Skateboards and designed and used by professional skateboarder Nora Vasconcellos in June 2018 while touring through Portugal and Spain. Vasconcellos began skating at age 5 in her hometown of Pembroke, Massachusetts and by age 24 she had become a pro rider for Welcome Skateboards, designed her first pro model board, won a world championship and became a member on Adidas’s skateboarding team. Her unique style of skating sets her apart from other skaters and insiders say her backside air is among the best in the world. She is a role model for girls in the sport proving a women can be successful in the male dominated world of skate. She uses her art in Welcome Skateboards apparel line and it is included on this first pro model deck.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2018
user
Vasconcellos, Nora
ID Number
2018.0272.01
accession number
2018.0272
catalog number
2018.0272.01

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