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Smithsonian sunburst Smithsonian National Postal Museum
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  • 4c James Naismith - Basketball single
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4c James Naismith - Basketball single

Object Details

Description
This Naismith-Basketball Issue stamp honors basketball and James Naismith, the Canadian born director of physical education who invented the game in 1891 at the YMCA College in Springfield, Massachusetts. Forced inside by the harsh New England winter, he drew upon many of the popular sports of the time, including soccer, baseball and football, and developed the game of basketball and wrote the original rule set. The stamp features a hand throwing a basketball into a net.
United States; Canada; Massachusetts; YMCA; college; basketball; sport; rules; game; ball; net; hand
Data Source
National Postal Museum
Date
November 6, 1961
Object number
1980.2493.5398
Printer
Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Associated Person
James Naismith, Canadian, 1861 - 1939
Type
Postage Stamps
Medium
paper; ink (multicolored); adhesive / engraving
Place
United States of America
See more items in
National Postal Museum Collection
Title
Scott Catalogue USA 1189
Topic
Sports
U.S. Stamps
Record ID
npm_1980.2493.5398
Usage
Usage conditions apply
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm8e6fe7300-93af-4ff8-aef2-5573b2f0dc36

Related Object Groups

  • Basketball: Smithsonian's Got Game
  • Winter Sports
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IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
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HomeSmithsonian National Postal Museum

Visit »

Open daily 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Admission is always free!

2 Massachusetts Ave., N.E.
Washington, DC 20002

The museum's main entrance is located on the corner of First Street and Massachusetts Avenue NE. Other entrances have variable hours.

street map of Postal museum

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