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San Francisco Giants spring training jersey worn and signed by Willie Mays

African American Museum

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    Object Details

    Worn by

    Willie Howard Mays Jr., American, 1931 - 2024

    Signed by

    Willie Howard Mays Jr., American, 1931 - 2024

    Subject of

    Major League Baseball, American, founded 1869
    San Francisco Giants, American, founded 1958

    Description

    A short-sleeved beige baseball jersey. There are seven (7) clear plastic buttons going down the center front of the jersey on the proper right side and the buttonholes are on the proper left side. The jersey reads [GIANTS] across the front with the "GIA" on the proper right side and the "NTS" on the proper left side. The "G" and the "S" have a series of curves and pints around them. The letters are black patches with orange outlines.
    The neckline has a thin black stripe going around it with an orange line on either side. There is a thin black band going around the bottom of each sleeve with a thin orange band on either side of the black band. There is a slit on either side of the jersey starting at the bottom and going up a couple of inches. There are several small holes near the armpits.
    The proper right side of the jersey is signed in blue ink. It reads [Willie Mays]. It is signed diagonally and is placed several inches down below the "G". On the bottom proper left side of the jersey there are two rectangular felt pieces sewn on with white thread. The top piece has [W. Mays] sewn onto it in black thread. The bottom piece has [1959] sewn onto it in black thread.
    The back of the jersey has a large [24] sewn onto it. The numbers are black patches with an orange background. It is located in the center of the top half of the jersey.
    There is an interior manufacturer's label near the neckline. The tag is white and has black and red lines. There is a red [Wilson] logo at the top. Below there are cleaning instructions in three steps typed in black. To the proper left of the instructions there is a size [42] typed in black. At the bottom is reads [WILSON SPORTING GOODS CO. /MADE IN U.S.A.] in black.

    Credit Line

    Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

    Date

    1959

    Object number

    2016.159.5

    Restrictions & Rights

    No Known Copyright Restrictions
    Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.

    Type

    jerseys
    sports uniforms

    Medium

    wool blend, plastic, ink, and thread

    Dimensions

    H x W x D (On Form): 35 1/2 × 26 × 12 in. (90.2 × 66 × 30.5 cm)
    H x W (Flat): 35 × 29 1/2 in. (88.9 × 74.9 cm)

    Place used

    San Francisco, California, United States, North and Central America

    See more items in

    National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

    Collection title

    Jock Michael Smith Collection

    Classification

    Clothing - Sports Uniforms

    Exhibition

    Sports: Leveling the Playing Field

    On View

    NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Community/Third Floor, 3 052

    Data Source

    National Museum of African American History and Culture

    Topic

    African American
    Athletes
    Baseball
    Clothing and dress
    Sports

    Metadata Usage

    CC0

    Link to Original Record

    http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd539cce548-3834-4f17-84eb-137c3339adf3

    Record ID

    nmaahc_2016.159.5

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