Worn by
Smith, Tommie, American, born 1944
Manufactured by
Wilson Sporting Goods Co., American, founded 1914
Date
1968
Medium
synthetic fiber, elastic, and metal
Dimensions
H x W x D (on form): 44 1/4 × 20 1/2 × 9 in. (112.4 × 52.1 × 22.9 cm)
H x W (flat): 41 1/2 × 19 1/2 in. (105.4 × 49.5 cm)
Description
A pair of warm up track suit pants worn by Tommie Smith at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.
The pants are navy blue and have a 1 1/2" thick elastic waistband. There is a 1/2" thick red stripe starting under the waistband and going down the side of the proper right and the proper left leg. There is a thin white stripe going down each side of the red stripes.
There is a 1 1/2" thick hem at the bottom of each pant leg. On the inside of each pant leg there is a zipper that starts from the bottom and goes up 11 3/4".
There is a seam going down the front center of each pant leg. There are several pulled threads along each seam. There is also a 3 1/2" long seam on the back of each leg, starting under the waistband.
Inside the front center of the waistband there are two yellowed drawtrings with knots at the end and frayed edges. At the inside back center of the pants there is a white manufacturer's label. It says "Wilson/MADE IN U.S.A/L" in red thread. The machine washing instructions are in black thread. There is also a small white label underneath with the letter "M" in black thread.
Place used
Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico, Latin America, North and Central America
Classification
Clothing-Historical
Type
trousers
Topic
Activism
Black power
Civil rights
Clothing and dress
Men
Olympics
Sports
Track and field
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2015.231.2.2
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5af3b2dfa-b692-4e2d-a76e-6ebf991b7844

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

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