Harlem Globetrotters Card

Harlem Globetrotters Card

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Description
This Harlem Globetrotters card is number 82 in a series of 84 featuring the Harlem Globetrotter basketball team that was issued by the Fleer Corporation in 1972. The front of the card features an image of an unidentified Harlem Globetrotters player. The card’s reverse features the history of the Globetrotters, detailing the players that played for the first team in 1927.
The Harlem Globetrotters—originally called the Savoy Big Five—were founded in 1927 as a promotion for the Savoy Ballroom nightclub in Chicago. The team soon changed their name to associate themselves with the African-American cultural movement known as the Harlem Renaissance. This gave the Globetrotters the prestige of being associated with Harlem, while also letting white Midwestern audiences know what to expect when the team came to town. Before the advent and rise of the NBA, the Globetrotters drove to small towns in the Midwest and played competitive games against other semi professional teams in a practice known as “barnstorming.” The Globetrotters soon became one of the America’s best teams, and they began to incorporate “The Show” into their games to keep the score close. As the years went by, these tricks and comedic routines became the centerpiece of Globetrotter games that they are still known for today.
Object Name
basketball card
card, basketball
date made
1971
associated institution
Harlem Globetrotters
publisher
Harlem Globetrotters, Inc.
Fleer Corp.
maker
Fleer Corp.
Harlem Globetrotters, Inc.
place made
United States: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
Physical Description
paper (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 3 1/2 in x 2 1/2 in; 8.89 cm x 6.35 cm
ID Number
1982.0568.134
accession number
1982.0568
catalog number
1982.0568.134
subject
Basketball
Professional
Sports
See more items in
Culture and the Arts: Sport and Leisure
Basketball Cards
Sports & Leisure
Data Source
National Museum of American History
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