Blazer, tie, and belt worn by Ted Corbitt for the 1952 Helsinki XV Olympics
date: label: Date
content: 1952
name: label: Manufactured by
content: Unidentified
label: Manufactured by
content: Hickok Leather
label: Worn by
content: Ted Corbitt, American, 1919 - 2007
notes: label: Caption
content: In the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Ted Corbitt became the first African American to compete in the Olympic marathon.
label: Description
content: .1) A navy blue single breasted men's blazer with notch lapels.
label: Description
content: The blazer has two patch pockets, one on either side near the hips. There is also a patch breast pocket on the proper left side. There is an embroidered patch on top of the pocket. It is in the shape of a shield with three points at the top. It has a gold border. The top section is blue with a white rectangle inside. Inside the white rectangle are the five (5) Olympic rings, interlocked in a horizontal line. They are blue, gold, black, green, and red. There is a gold horizontal line separating the top from the bottom section. In the bottom section there are thirteen vertical stripes, alternating red and white, with red stripes on the two outer edges. Under the shield there is a white arc shape with blue text that reads [HELSINKI 1952]. There are three plastic buttons going down the front. There is partial blue silk lining on the inside of the jacket and in the pockets. There is also a single slit at the bottom on the back of the jacket.
label: Description
content: .2) A blue silk necktie.
label: Description
content: It has gold thread text and images. There is a foot with a sandal and a wing on the ankle. It represents the foot of the Greek god Hermes. There is text underneath which reads [1952 / OLYMPICS]. There is a symmetrical vertical design underneath. The back is lined in white fabric.
label: Description
content: .3) A leather and metal belt.
label: Description
content: There is a raised black trim on the top and bottom. The buckle is a gold colored metal. It is scuffed and scratched. There is a raised image on the proper right side. It is in the shape of a shield with three points at the top. It has a gold border. The top section is blue with a white rectangle inside. Inside the white rectangle are the five (5) Olympic rings, interlocked in a horizontal line. They are blue, gold, black, green, and red. There is a gold horizontal line separating the top from the bottom section. In the bottom section there are thirteen vertical stripes, alternating red and white, with red stripes on the two outer edges. There is text engraved into the belt. Under the image it reads [HELSINKI 1952]. On the proper left side of the image it reads [UNITED / STATES / OLYMPIC / TEAM]. There is a scuffed metal circle in between the buckle and the first belt loop. There is another on the other side of the loop. The back of the belt is tan. it is cracked and wrinkled. There is text stamped on which reads [HICOCK Sculptered SADDLE / LEATHER] in different fonts and next to that it reads [4216 / 32].
place: label: Place used
content: Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland, Europe
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Clothing and dress
label: Topic
content: Olympics
label: Topic
content: Sports
label: Topic
content: Track and field
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Clothing - Sports Uniforms
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Gary Corbitt in memory of Ted Corbitt
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2015.182.4.1-.3
objectType: label: Type
content: sports uniforms
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: No Known Copyright Restrictions
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: Jacket: wool, silk, plastic, and thread; Tie: silk and thread; Belt: leather, metal, ink, and thread
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (Blazer): 32 × 21 in. (81.3 × 53.3 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: L x W (Tie- Length: Folded, Width: At it's widest point): 24 1/2 × 3 1/2 in. (62.2 × 8.9 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: L x W (Tie- Length: Unfolded): 38 1/2 in. (97.8 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: L x W (Belt): 37 1/2 × 1 1/2 in. (95.3 × 3.8 cm)