Indianapolis Speedway Race; Board games; Games; Automobile Racing; Automobile Racing -- Indiana -- Indianapolis
Can you hear the roar of the engines? Can you feel the wind the cars whip around the curve just in front of your eyes? Cars have been racing in the Indianapolis 500 since 1911. With games like this 1930s Speedway Motor Race board game, players...
Mexico; Indians of Mexico; Indians of Mexico -- Games; Games; Ball games; Mexico -- History -- To 1519; Mayas
The ball game of ancient Meso-America was a ceremonial activity. The object was to keep the ball in the air as it traveled down the court, just as the sun travels across the sky. The game was played in a large I-shape walled court. The ball was...
Football; Football -- Equipment and supplies; Indianapolis Colts (Football team); Indianapolis; Indiana; Sports -- Indiana
In 1984 the Colts moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, the same year this helmet was made. Today, football inspires people all over the world, but 100 years ago very few people knew anything about American style football. An adaptation of English rugby,...
Field hockey; Field hockey--Equipment and supplies
Ancient civilizations including Greeks, Persians, Romans, Aztec Indians and Arabs played stick games. Today field hockey continues to be a popular sport all over the world. Two teams of 11 players face off on a rectangular field. Only the...
China; China -- History -- Han dynasty, 202 B.C.-220 A.D.; Lions; Lions in art; Sculpture
Chinese lions may not look much like actual lions from Africa, but they share many characteristics with mythical lions found in folklore traditions around the world. According to Chinese belief, lions chase away evil spirits and bring good luck,...
Cards; Card games; Nineteen thirties; Finance, Personal; Budgets, Personal
Ever worry your parents will run out of money before giving allowances? In a similar way, some people worried the government was spending too much money when this game was made in 1938. To have a balanced budget, the government can’t spend more...
This sculpture of Oscar Robertson was first modeled in clay, then a mold was made before it was cast in plaster. It shows Robertson at the height of his career, when he played in the NBA for the Milwaukee Bucks. He began his basketball career in...
During the 1950s and 1960s fast food restaurants became increasingly popular. Restaurants, including McDonald’s and Burger King, instituted efficient ways to prepare and cook food. Restaurants found new ways to promote their food including...
Pelé, named Edson Arantes do Nascimento, was born on October 23, 1940 in Tres Coracos, Brazil. Best known as an outstanding soccer player for the Santos Football Club, he played on three Brazilian World Cup winning teams (1958, 1962, and 1970)....
The sarangi, or Indian violin, is a classical stringed instrument common to north Indian music. Popularized in the mid-17th century, it was mostly played to accompany vocal music, but also as a solo instrument. It has no frets or fingerboard; the...
Professional basketball legend Larry Bird led the Boston Celtics to three NBA titles with his shooting, rebounding, passing and defending before a bad back brought a premature end to a 20 year career. In 1992, he was a member of the winning Olympic...
Ruth, Babe, 1895-1948; Baseball; Baseball players; New York Yankees (Baseball team); Boston Red Sox (Baseball team); Autographs; 1930s
George Herman Ruth (1895-1948) was one of baseball’s all time greats. Nicknamed “Babe” in 1914, his left-arm pitching and powerful hitting were invaluable assets to the Boston Red Sox (1914-1919) and the New York Yankees (1919-1936.) This...
Baseball was still a new sport when some young boy wore this outfit in the early 20th century. This uniform of wool shirt, knickers and cap were durable but probably uncomfortable in the summer heat. Kids have been playing stick ball for centuries....
Indians of North America; Indians of North America -- Games; Games
Chunkey is a game of skill that was played by many Native American groups in the United States. Two players would throw long slender poles at a smooth stone disk that was rolling on the ground. The player’s pole closest to where the stone disk...
The 1992 Summer Olympics was the first in which professional athletes were allowed to play on the United States basketball team. The "Dream Team," as it was called, included Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, David Robinson, Charles Barkley,...
Tennis began as a pastime for wealthy elite during the early 1880s. By the time Mildred Compton used this racket in the 1940s, tennis welcomed many new enthusiasts to the sport. Not until the 1960s, when viewers watched tournaments on television,...
First established in Scotland, wealthy businessmen brought golf to the United States at the turn of the century. Scottish players helped to design courses at exclusive social clubs. Can you imagine a 1920s man discussing business on the golf course...
This wire mesh sculpture, made by Brazilian artist Monica Kabvegu in the 1980s, depicts a child playing soccer. Soccer is one of the most popular sports in Brazil, comparable to football and basketball in America. In fact, one of the most...
Dresses; Clothing and dress; Russell, Pearl; Dance; Entertainers
Pearl Russell fascinated audiences from 1895 to 1917 with her version of the skirt dance first popularized by Parisian dancer Loie Fuller. She danced in front of a projected lantern slide background of a rose or a butterfly, and accompanied by a...
China; China -- History; China -- social life and customs; Folk dancing, Chinese; Lions; Dance; Costume; Headgear; Chinese New Year
According to Chinese belief, lions chase away evil spirits and bring good luck, most likely because of their size, strength and fierce nature. Chinese lions are depicted as very colorful and stylized. This mask is a smaller version of a full-sized...
