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 50 items.
Page 1 of 5
Homemade Baseball
- Description (Brief)
- Handmade baseball made by previous owner's great aunt, Ida Clark. Ms. Clark covered and hand stitched this baseball for an unknown company.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- maker
- Clark, Ida
- ID Number
- 1989.0665.02
- catalog number
- 1989.0665.02
- accession number
- 1989.0665
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Baseball
- Description
- Baseball covered in white adhesive tape with a nail inserted through the center. The ball is marked "FOR THE SMITHSONNIAN [sic] MUSEUM - 6 - 4 - 93." Accessioned with a baseball diamond diagram with names of baseball players and marked "HAVANA CUBA, 1946 to 1956."
- Location
- Currently not on view
- ID Number
- 1995.0330.01
- catalog number
- 1995.0330.01
- accession number
- 1995.0330
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Baseball, hit by Bob Allison
- Description
- Baseball, hit foul by Washington Senators outfielder Bob Allison (b. 1934) at Griffith Stadium. The ball was owned by former Senators announcer Charlie Brotman. Allison played for the Senators from 1958-1960.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1958-1960
- associated institution
- Washington Senators
- ID Number
- 2002.0124.06
- accession number
- 2002.0124
- catalog number
- 2002.0124.06
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Little League Baseball
- Description
- Baseball, used in Little League play during the 1990s.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1990-2000
- user
- Rogers, Kevin
- maker
- Wilson
- ID Number
- 2003.0164.04
- accession number
- 2003.0164
- catalog number
- 2003.0164.04
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Baseball, signed by the 1951 St. Louis Browns
- Description
- Baseball autographed by Satchell Paige and the 1951 St. Louis Browns.That season the Browns went 52-102, 8th in the American League.
- Autographs include Satchel Paige; Ken Wood; Bob Young; Matt Bates; Fred Marsh; Sherm Lollar; Hank Arft; Frank Saucier; Jack Maguire; Bill Jennings; Jim Suchecki; Jim Delsing; Bob Mahoney.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1951
- signer
- Paige, Satchel
- maker
- Spalding
- ID Number
- 2005.0195.01
- accession number
- 2005.0195
- catalog number
- 2005.0195.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Official League Ball adopted by the National League
- Description
- Spalding brand baseball, marked "Official League Ball - Adopted by the National League." It was patented Feb 27, 1883 (U.S. Patent 272984). The National League formed in 1876 and the American League, formed in 1901, compromise modern Major League Baseball.
- Benjamin F. Shibe (1838-1922), of Philadelphia, received the patent for his improvement in the manufacture of baseballs. Shibe was an American sporting goods and baseball executive and part owner of the Philadelphia Athletics from 1901 to 1922.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1883
- maker
- Spalding
- ID Number
- 1979.1152.01
- catalog number
- 1979.1152.01
- accession number
- 1979.1152
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Baseball, signed by the 1965 Los Angeles Dodgers
- Description
- Baseball signed by the 1965 Los Angeles Dodgers. That season the Dodgers finished 97-65, 1st in the National League, winning the World Series over the Minnesota Twins 4 games to 3.
- Autographs include Ron Fairly; Nate Oliver; Howie Reed; John Kennedy; Sandy Koufax; Don LeJohn; Maury Willis; Ron Perranoski; Hector Valle; Bill Singer; Jim Lefebvre; Derell Griffith; Jeff Torborg; Bob Miller; Lefty Phillips; Nick Willhite; Claude Osteen; Wally Moon.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1965
- associated institution
- Los Angeles Dodgers
- maker
- Spalding
- ID Number
- 1984.0228.01
- accession number
- 1984.0228
- catalog number
- 1984.0228.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Baseball, signed by Don Drysdale
- Description
- Baseball autographed by Don Drysdale (1936-1993). The right handed pitcher played for the Brooklyn/ Los Angeles Dodgers from 1956-1969. Drysdale finished his career with a win-loss record of 209-166, having been named to nine All-Star Teams and receiving the Cy Young Award in 1962. He was a contributor to three World Series Champion Dodger teams (1959, 1963 and 1965). Drysdale has had his number 53 retired by the Los Angeles Dodgers, and was elected into Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame in 1984.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1960s
- associated institution
- Los Angeles Dodgers
- signer
- Drysdale, Don
- maker
- Spalding
- ID Number
- 1984.0228.02
- accession number
- 1984.0228
- catalog number
- 1984.0228.02
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Baseball, used in the 1983 Cracker Jack Old Timers Baseball Classic.
- Description
- Baseball used in the 1983 Cracker Jack Old Timers Baseball Classic. The game was played at RFK Stadium in Washington D.C. on July 18.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1983
- associated institution
- Cracker Jack Old Timers Baseball Classic
- maker
- Rawlings
- ID Number
- 1984.0229.01
- accession number
- 1984.0229
- catalog number
- 1984.0229.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Baseball, signed by Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron
- Description
- Baseball, signed by George Herman "Babe" Ruth (1895 - 1948) and Hank Aaron (b. 1934). The two players signed on different occasions.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- signer
- Ruth, Babe
- Aaron, Hank
- ID Number
- 1984.0479.01
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
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