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Explore stories in Northwest history through highlights from MOHAI’s collections. Search by keyword below or browse the entire online collection by entering the asterisk symbol (*). Filter your search by type of materials.

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615 results for: Sports

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Image of Bob Frasier and John Davis posing at gym, Seattle, October 16, 1949
Photograph

Bob Frasier and John Davis posing at gym, Seattle, October 16, 1949

Bob Frasier, manager, assists John Davis, fighter and longshoreman, in the ring at a gymnasium located around 1st & Cherry. Bob is wearing a long sleeved shirt and pants with suspenders, and John is in a striped shirt and shorts, wearing protective gear and gloves.
ID Number:2014.49.010.001.0002
Date:1949
Image of Joe Louis and Al Smith, Sr., Seattle,  circa 1945
Photograph

Joe Louis and Al Smith, Sr., Seattle, circa 1945

Professional boxer and heavyweight champ Joe Louis (1914-1981) served in the U.S. Army during World War II, from January 1942 to October 1945. The Army placed him in the Special Services Division, where Louis went on celebrity tours and staged boxing exhibitions for charity and to boost the morale of American soldiers. This photo shows Louis, left, in his Army…
ID Number:2014.49.010.019.0037
Date:Circa 1945
Image of Boxer Eddie Cotton, Seattle, April 29, 1947
Photograph

Boxer Eddie Cotton, Seattle, April 29, 1947

In his 20 years in the ring as a light-heavyweight (1947-1967), Seattle boxer Eddie Cotton (1926-1990) had 83 bouts, winning 34 by knockout and 24 by decision. Cotton also worked for the Boeing Aircraft Company as a tool and die maker, and ran a restaurant on 15th Avenue and E. Madison Street in Seattle until the mid-1980s.This photo shows a…
ID Number:2014.49.011.035.0059
Date:1947
Image of Boxer training on speed bag, Seattle, September 24, 1947
Photograph

Boxer training on speed bag, Seattle, September 24, 1947

In addition to his jazz club images, Seattle-born photographer Al Smith took many photos of family, friends and other local people in their everyday lives. In this photo Smith captures a young boxer training on a speed bag at an unidentified gym in Seattle.
ID Number:2014.49.011.037.0097
Date:1947
Image of Trainer and boxer in gym with heavy bag, Seattle, circa 1952
Photograph

Trainer and boxer in gym with heavy bag, Seattle, circa 1952

A postal carrier during the week, Albert Joseph "Al" Smith, Sr. (1916-2008) spent weekends taking pictures for his photography business "On The Spot." His photographs tell the stories of everyday people who shaped the dynamic character of Seattle, offering rare views into the city’s African American community, the Central Area neighborhood, and the local jazz scene. In this image taken…
ID Number:2014.49.011.039.0091
Date:Circa 1952
Image of Buford Ransom holding training gear at boxing gym, September 24, 1947
Photograph

Buford Ransom holding training gear at boxing gym, September 24, 1947

Buford Silas Ransom (1927-2013) was a welterweight boxer from Seattle. Nicknamed "Schoolboy Ransom," he started boxing while a student at Broadway High School, and had his first amateur match in 1946, at 17 years old. Ransom was coached by professional fighter and trainer Frisco McGale, and won all 20 of his amateur bouts under McGale, 19 of them by knockout.…
ID Number:2014.49.011.041.0074
Date:1947
Image of Two boxers posing in a gym, Seattle, circa 1949
Photograph

Two boxers posing in a gym, Seattle, circa 1949

Two young boxers pose inside the ring in a gym near First Avenue and Cherry Street in downtown Seattle. The young man at right is Freddie Brown (1931-1961), who won the middleweight championship title at the 14th annual Golden Gloves Tournament in February 1949.
ID Number:2014.49.014.003.0005
Date:Circa 1949
Image of Bill Ross lacing young boxer's gloves, Seattle, circa 1953
Photograph

Bill Ross lacing young boxer's gloves, Seattle, circa 1953

An unidentified young boxer is helped with his gloves by boxing trainer, manager, and former boxer Bill Ross at a gym near First Avenue and Cherry Street.
ID Number:2014.49.014.005.0007
Date:Circa 1953
Image of Basketball players jumping for ball, Seattle, December 1948
Photograph

Basketball players jumping for ball, Seattle, December 1948

The San Francisco Saints and the Hawaii Nisei, shown here, were amateur basketball teams made up of Chinese and Japanese Americans, respectively. As a members of the Amateur Athletic Union, the teams competed against teams throughout California and the United States.This action shot was likely taken during the second annual "Oriental American Basketball Tournament," which was held at the Seattle…
ID Number:2014.49.014.006.0008
Date:1948
Image of San Francisco Saints basketball team posing for team photo, Seattle, December 1948
Photograph

San Francisco Saints basketball team posing for team photo, Seattle, December 1948

The San Francisco Saints was a Chinese-American amateur basketball team founded by Father Donald F. Forrester, pastor and director of St. Mary's Chinese Catholic Center/Holy Family Parish in San Francisco's Chinatown. As a member of the Amateur Athletic Union, the team competed against teams throughout California and the United States.This team photo was likely taken during the second annual "Oriental…
ID Number:2014.49.014.006.0149
Date:1948
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