Tartan Surface Material Track Sample
name: label: maker
content: 3M Company
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: Sample of Tartan Surfacing Material mounted on hardboard. Manufactured by the 3M company, the first manufacturer of synthetic polyurethane tracks, this is a first-generation all-weather track material. This was the first of its kind, created in the late 1960s and early 1970s and branded Tartan Turf. This name created by 3M to continue the Scottish branding their company embraced, became synonymous with artificial tracks and turf in the 1970s. Olympic athletes Bill Neider and Don Bowden were instrumental in developing and selling this track material to be included in the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. Prior to this material, tracks consisted of cinder and was hard and unforgiving. The new synthetic material had some give to it which ultimately led to fewer injuries and innovations in footwear
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
topic: label: web subject
content: Sports
label: name of sport
content: Track and Field
setName: label: See more items in
content: Culture and the Arts: Sport and Leisure
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: 3M Company, through R. L. Johnson
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1983.0319.03
label: accession number
content: 1983.0319
label: catalog number
content: 1983.0319.03
objectType: label: Object Name
content: track sample
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: rubber (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: urethane (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: cardboard (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 1/2 in x 3 1/4 in x 2 1/4 in; 1.27 cm x 8.255 cm x 5.715 cm