Sports & Leisure - Overview
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.
"Sports & Leisure - Overview" showing 22 items.
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Tennis Racket
- Description
- This racquet was used by American tennis player Arthur Ashe (1943-1993) while winning the Wimbledon Men’s Singles championship in 1975. With the victory, Ashe became the first African-American to win the prestigious event, defeating fellow American Jimmy Connors three sets to one.
- Ashe, a native of Richmond, Virginia, was the also first African-American to be named to the U.S. Davis Cup Team (1963) and to win singles titles at the U.S. and Australian Opens (1968 and 1970.)
- Ashe was a vocal advocate for civil rights, both in the United States and abroad, and was involved in many humanitarian efforts, including the opening of the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health. He has been recognized with honors such as the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and has had a statue erected on Richmond’s Monument Avenue.
- In 1997, the U.S. Tennis Association’s opened the Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadow, New York. The court serves as the principal stadium for the U.S. Open.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1975
- associated dates
- 1991-04-09
- 1970-1980
- user
- Ashe, Arthur
- maker
- Head
- ID Number
- 1991.0178.01
- catalog number
- 1991.0178.01
- accession number
- 1991.0178
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Football Jersey
- Description
- Called "Roger the Dodger" for his ability to scramble with the football, Roger Staubach (b. 1942) played for the U.S. Naval Academy, winning the 1963 Heisman Trophy. After serving in the U. S. Navy, he began his professional career with the Dallas Cowboys in 1969. In eleven seasons as Cowboys quarterback, Staubach took his team to two Super Bowl championships, in 1972 and 1978.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1973
- user
- Staubach, Roger
- maker
- Russell Athletic
- ID Number
- 2002.0061.02
- accession number
- 2002.0061
- catalog number
- 2002.0061.02
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Breezer 1 Mountain Bike
- Description
- First prototype of the JBX1 "Breezer 1” mountain bike. Hand built by Joe Breeze in 1977, the JBX1 was the first bicycle frame designed specifically for mountain biking.
- The “Breezer 1” was constructed with components that could withstand the repeated pounding of mountain bike riding, such as Araya brand 26” steel rims, Phil Wood hubs, Sun Tour derailleurs, and Dia-Compe brakes. The steel “riser” handlebars and Magura brand brake levers were repurposed from motorcycles and adapted to work with the “Breezer 1’s” stem and brake calipers. The large size of the Magura motorcycle levers provided increased braking leverage and was advantageous when trying to ride in wet conditions with slippery steel Araya rims. Other parts, such as the Sun Tour thumb shifters were adapted from five-speed touring bikes and only came in right hand models. The left side thumb shifter, which controlled the front derailleur, was a right hand shifter that was mounted backwards.
- Prior to the construction of the “Breezer 1”, mountain bike racers would modify vintage cruiser bikes, nicknamed “clunkers”, with coaster or drum brakes, sturdier wheels with knobby “balloon tires”, and “fork braces” to keep the frames from bending under the stresses of off-road riding. Mountain bike riders in Marin County, California would race these “clunkers” down mountain trails in events called “Repack Races”. The term ”Repack” was coined because the hub-based brakes would inevitably overheat, lose their effectiveness, and have to be disassembled and repacked with fresh grease prior to another ride down the mountain.
- Joe Breeze’s “Breezer 1” design served as a benchmark for mountain bikes to build and improve upon. In 1979 Tom Ritchey of Redwood City, California, started building fat-tire mountain bikes, which were sold by two veterans of the “Repack Races”, Gary Fisher and Charlie Kelly. In 1982, mountain bicycles were offered by two separate companies -- Specialized Bicycles came out with the Stumpjumper and Univega released the Alpina Pro. The following year, Gary Fisher founded his own mountain bicycle company, which sold bicycles under the brand "Gary Fisher" from 1983 to 2010.
- The 1980s and 1990s saw mountain biking evolve from a niche sport to an International Cycling World Championship event in 1990. It became an Olympic event at the 1996 Atlanta games. Additionally, mountain biking became an increasingly popular amateur sport. Once only available from specialty shops, mountain bikes were suddenly being sold as recreation bikes at department stores and big box retailers.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1977
- maker
- Breezer Bicycles
- maker; designer
- Breeze, Joe
- ID Number
- 2012.0066.01
- catalog number
- 2012.0066.01
- accession number
- 2012.0066
- serial number
- JBX1
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Baseball, signed by the 1974 Chicago Cubs
- Description (Brief)
- Autographed baseball signed by the 1974 Chicago Cubs. That season the Cubs finished 66-96, 6th in the National League East.
- Autographs include Bill Bonham; Ken Frailing; Carmen Fanzone; Lou Boudreau; Burt Hooten; Billy Williams; Tom Lundstedt; Lou Gonseca; Vic Harris; Jim Tyrone; Horacio Pina; Whitey Lockman; Ray Burris; J.C. Martin; Jerry Morales; Don Kessinger; Andre Thorton.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1974
- signer
- Williams, Billy
- maker
- Spalding
- ID Number
- 1999.0265.068
- accession number
- 1999.0265
- catalog number
- 1999.0265.068
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Baseball, signed by the 1971 Los Angeles Dogers
- Description (Brief)
- Autographed baseball signed by the 1971 Los Angeles Dodgers. That season the Dodgers finsihed 89-73, 2nd in the National League West.
- Signatures include Duke Sims; Jack Creel; Bill Russel; Walter Alston; Bill Buckner; Bob Valentine; Wes Parker; Tom Haller; Steve Garvey; Jim Lefebvre; Claude Osteen; Willie Davis; Carrol Berringer.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1971
- maker
- Worth
- ID Number
- 1999.0265.069
- accession number
- 1999.0265
- catalog number
- 1999.0265.069
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Baseball, signed by the 1971 San Diego Padres
- Description (Brief)
- Autographed baseball signed by the 1971 San Diego Padres. That season the Padres finished 61-100, last in the National League West.
- Signatures include Garey Jestadt; Dave Campbell; Dave Roberts; Fred Kendall; Larry Stahl; Steve Arlin; Cito Gaston; Don Mason; Ollie Brown.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1971
- maker
- Power King
- ID Number
- 1999.0265.070
- accession number
- 1999.0265
- catalog number
- 1999.0265.070
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Baseball, signed by the 1974 Milwaukee Brewers
- Description
- Baseball signed by members of the 1975 Milwaukee Brewers. That seaons the Brewers finished 76-86, 5th in the American League East.
- Autographs include Del Crandall; Jim Slaton; Harvey Kuenn; Ed Sprague; Johnny Briggs; Don Money; Al Widmar; Bob Coluccio; Tim Johnson; Robin Yount; Jim Colborn; John Vukovich; Bob Hansen; Gorman Thomas; Darrell Porter; Ken Berry.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1974
- maker
- Official League
- ID Number
- 1999.0265.071
- accession number
- 1999.0265
- catalog number
- 1999.0265.071
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Baseball, signed by the 1975 Chicago Cubs
- Description
- Autographed baseball signed by the members of the 1975 Chicago Cubs. That season the Cubs finished 75-97, 5th in the National League.
- Autographs include Don Kessinger; Oscar Zampora; Manny Trillo; Rob Sperring; Bill Bonham; George Mitterwald; Vic Harris; Steve Stone; Jim Marshall; Rick Reuschel; Jim Tyrone; Ken Frailing.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1975
- associated institution
- Chicago Cubs
- maker
- King
- ID Number
- 1999.0265.074
- accession number
- 1999.0265
- catalog number
- 1999.0265.074
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Baseball, signed by the 1975 Texas Rangers
- Description
- Autographed baseball signed by the members of the 1975 Texas Rangers. That year the Rangers finished 79-83, 3rd in the American League West.
- Autographs include Mike Hargrove; Roy Smalley; Jeff Burroughs; Joe Lovitto; Jim Sundberg; Cesar Tovar; Steve Foucault; Bill Hands; Jim Spencer; Clyde Wright; Jackie Brown; Jim Umbarger; Len Randle; Merrill Combs.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1975
- maker
- Spalding
- ID Number
- 1999.0265.075
- accession number
- 1999.0265
- catalog number
- 1999.0265.075
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Baseball, signed by the 1976 Baltimore Orioles
- Description
- Autographed baseball signed by the members of the 1976 Baltimore Orioles. That year the Orioles went 88-74, 2nd in the American League East.
- Autographs include Dyar Miller; Reggie Jackson; Lee May; Tippy Martinez; Terry Crowley; Brooks Robinson; Paul Blair; Tony Muser; Rick Dempsey; Kenny Singleton; David Duncan; Jim Palmer; Tim Nordbrook; Al Bumbry; Rudy May; Doug DeCinces; Mark Belange ; Earl Weaver; Tom Harper; Bob Bailor; Fred Holdsworth; Wayne Garland; Ross Grimsley; David Pagan; Bob Grich; Miguel Cuellar.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1976
- associated institution
- Baltimore Orioles
- maker
- Stall and Dean
- ID Number
- 1999.0265.078
- accession number
- 1999.0265
- catalog number
- 1999.0265.078
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center