Preserving Sports Heritage Art and Artifacts from the Collection of the Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles Edited by Karen R. Goddy 2141 West Adams Boulevard John C. Argue, Chairman Los Angeles, CA 90018-2040 Anita L. DeFrantz, President (323)730-4600 www.aafla.org Board of Directors John C. Argue Evelyn Ashford Mike R. Bowlin John Bryson Yvonne Brathwaite Burke Jae Min Chang Anita L. DeFrantz Published by the Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles James L. Easton Rafer Johnson Design: Joseph Shuldiner Kathleen Kennedy Photography: Joel H. Mark, Fredrik Nilson Contributing writers: F. Patrick Escobar, Wayne V. Wilson Maureen Kindel Thomas E. Larkin, Jr. Sanford M. Litvack The catalog is printed on McCoy Velour 80-pound book by Charles D. Miller Colorplus Graphics, Cerritos, California. The typeface used is Meta Plus designed by Erik Spiekermann. Peter O’Malley Frank M. Sanchez Peter V. Ueberroth Printed in an edition of 1,500 Harry L. Usher Gilbert R. Vasquez Copyright 2000 Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles David L. Wolper, Chairman Emeritus All Rights Reserved ISBN 0-9632714-1-5 TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword . .4 Introduction . .5 Aquatic Sports . .7 Athletics (Track & Field) . .19 Auto Racing . .31 Badminton . .35 Baseball / Softball . .39 Basketball . .45 Boxing . .51 Cycling . .55 Equine Sports . .63 Fencing . .71 Football (North American) . .75 Football (Soccer) . .79 Golf . .87 Ice Hockey . .91 Lacrosse . .95 Rowing . .97 Skating . .103 Skiing . .109 Tennis . .115 The Olympic Games . .121 Other Games and Championships . .139 Travel and Film Posters . .147 Art and Artifact 3 Art, artifacts, awards and medals offer a window Foundation began assembling an extensive col- to the magical world of sports. The person look- lection. Through the years, other major Los ing through this window is transported instantly Angeles institutions supported the effort. We to yesterday or to a day more than a cen- are particularly grateful to the Ueberroth Family Foreword tury ago. Sports history comes alive to Foundation, for acquiring the collection, keeping each one of us as we look at a football used in a it intact, and donating it to the AAF. big game, the uniforms worn by a favorite ath- The AAF continues to preserve and build the lete or a poster announcing an event. These collection so that future generations will have items are a part of sports history and they help the opportunity to use this window to see the us to relive it. history of sports. We encourage you to visit the The Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los AAF Web site at www.aafla.org for additional Angeles (AAF) is pleased to share with you an information and other periodic virtual exhibits opportunity to explore the history of sport from the collection. through this catalog. You will find in its pages selected items from the AAF’s rich collection of John C. Argue art and artifacts that come from professional and Board Chairman, Amateur Athletic Foundation amateur sports. We have titled this publication, Preserving Anita L. DeFrantz Sports Heritage, in honor of Mr. Bill Schroeder. President, Amateur Athletic Foundation In 1936 Schroeder and the Helms Athletic Member, International Olympic Committee 4 Foreword The Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles’ was joined by First Interstate Bank. (AAF) collection of sport-related art and artifacts The Ueberroth Family Foundation and First captures the history of sport from the early 1900s Interstate Bank of California, in 1982, purchased to the present. The collection owes its creation to and restored the Britt House, a historical home in W.R. “Bill” Schroeder, who in 1932 began devel- the West Adams district of Los Angeles. The Britt The Art and Artifact Collection of the Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles oping a sports memorabilia collection for public House became home to the foundation’s sports viewing to honor athletes for their accomplish- collection, awards program, library and offices. ments. Schroeder’s vision became a reality in Operation of the foundation continued until the 1936 with the formation of the Helms Athletic summer of 1985. At that time, the Britt House Foundation. and the memorabilia and library collections it The Helms Foundation established awards pro- contained were donated to the AAF. grams for athletes ranging from high school The AAF is endowed with Southern California’s sports to the professional level. The foundation share of the surplus from the 1984 Olympic also started the Helms Halls of Fame, devoted to Games. The foundation awards grants to youth top athletes in individual sports. These served as sports organizations, initiates its own youth predecessors of the sports halls of fame we know sports programs and manages the Paul Ziffren today. Schroeder collected sports artifacts, or Sports Resource Center Library. Its mission is to memorabilia, from those athletes the foundation serve Southern California youth through sport. inducted into the Helms Halls of Fame. The AAF Collection of Art and Artifacts is repre- Schroeder’s many friends in the world of sports sentative of both professional and amateur also provided pieces to the foundation. sports. The collection is noteworthy, especially The Helms family continued its financial sup- for its pieces from the first half of the 20th centu- port of the foundation until 1970 when United ry. More than 50 sports are represented by tro- Savings and Loan took over as benefactor. In phies, award medals, uniforms, equipment, pins, 1973 United Savings and Loan merged with badges, ephemera, posters, numismatic and phil- Citizens Savings, and the foundation adopted atelic materials, prints and drawings. While the the name Citizens Savings Athletic Foundation. AAF does not operate a museum or hall of fame it The Ueberroth Family Foundation took over as uses the collection for educational purposes and benefactor in February of 1981. By September to loan for use in other exhibits. of that same year, the Ueberroths’ foundation The strength of the collection is the 1,500- The Art and Artifact Collection 5 piece poster collection, reflecting the history of 1896 to the present. The collection includes 20th century poster art. The subject matter of the posters, award and participation medals, certifi- majority of the posters is the Olympic Games. cates, torches, badges, pins, cloth patches, tickets, Other subjects include the Pan American Games, equipment and uniforms. Athletics (track and Central American and Caribbean Games, sport field), aquatic sports, rowing, boxing, gymnastics, specific championships, plus sport-related film, equestrian, cycling, fencing, speed and figure skat- travel and advertising posters. While not always ing, and the discontinued sport of golf, are among recognized for their interest in sport, such noted the many of the Olympic sports represented. graphic designers as Ludwig Hohlwein, Herbert The General Sports Collection has been cross- Bayer, Edward Penfield, Roger Broders and A.M. referenced by sport and type of artifact. American Cassandre produced sport works, many of which football and baseball have numerous pieces are part of the collection. More recently, artists including complete and partial uniforms, balls Max Bill, David Hockney, Roy Litchenstein and (many autographed), helmets, and shoes from April Grieman have all participated in one or more collegiate and professional players. Auto racing Olympic Games art poster series. The AAF has has few artifacts and roughly 30 trophies. acquired many of their works, too. Archery and badminton are very small collections, The collection also includes award medals and associated primarily with female athletes of the trophies. From the Olympic Games to local park early-to mid-20th century. Tennis has a uniquely tournaments, these pieces were awarded to the even mix of noted male and female athletes rep- outstanding athletes in their sports. Many of resented through equipment, trophies and cloth- these athletes were Olympians, who while they ing. Athletics has shoes, field equipment, racing may have chosen to keep their Olympic award batons and jerseys. Boxing features equipment medals, still shared many of their accomplish- and clothing. ments through other award medals and trophies. The art and artifacts on the following pages The AAF Collection of Art and Artifacts consists represent a wide range of the collection. Not all of two parts: the Olympic Games collection and sports represented in the collection are depicted the General Sports collection. The Olympic in this catalog. We have tried to present the high- Collection is an exceptional collection rivaling any lights, based on the significance of pieces and in the United States or abroad. This collection is their aesthetic and exhibit qualities. With over a wonderful educational resource. The AAF, as 10,000 pieces in the collection this was quite a the legacy of the 1984 Olympic Games, is preserv- task. We hope you enjoy and learn from this cata- ing it for future generations. log of the AAF’s rich and diverse collection. The Olympic Collection contains pieces from 6 The Art and Artifact Collection There are many water-based sports, but the term ing at the 1904 St. Louis Games. Springboard div- “aquatics” or “aquatic sports” usually refers ing, or fancy diving as it was called at the time, specifically to swimming, diving, water polo and made its first appearance in 1908 at London. synchronized swimming. All four of these sports Originally restricted to men, Olympic diving was are part of the Olympic open to men and women in 1912. Divers, in recent AQUATIC SPORTS Games and other major inter- years, have tended to specialize in one event or national events such as the Commonwealth the other. The last diver to win Olympic gold Games, Pan American Games and the Asian Games. medals in both events was Greg Louganis, of the Synchronized swimming is the most recent United States, who did so in 1984 and 1988.