Skip to main content

Search

Donate

Home Smithsonian Institution

Site Navigation

  • Visit
    • Hours and Locations
    • Entry and Guidelines
    • Mall Museum Map
    • Dining
    • Shopping
    • Accessibility
    • Group Visits
  • What's On
    • Exhibitions
      • Current Exhibitions
      • Upcoming
      • Past Exhibitions
      • Online Exhibitions
    • Today's Events
    • Online Events
    • All Events
    • IMAX & Planetarium
  • Explore
    • Art & Design
    • History & Culture
    • Science & Conservation
    • Collections
      • Open Access
      • Smithsonian Snapshot
    • Research Resources
      • Libraries
      • Archives
        • Smithsonian Institution Archives
        • Air and Space Museum
        • Anacostia Community Museum
        • American Art Museum
        • Archives of American Art
        • Archives of American Gardens
        • American History Museum
        • American Indian Museum
        • Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, African Art
        • Freer and Sackler Archives
        • Hirshhorn Archive
        • National Anthropological Archives
        • National Portrait Gallery
        • Ralph Rinzler Archives, Folklife
        • Libraries' Special Collections
    • Blogs
    • Podcasts
    • Mobile Apps
  • Learn
    • For Kids and Teens
    • For Educators
      • Resources
      • Field Trips
      • Professional Development
      • Events
    • Youth Programs
    • Fellowships and Internships
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer
      • Behind-the-Scenes
      • Digital Volunteers
      • Smithsonian Call Center
      • Visitor Information Specialist
      • Docent Programs
    • Citizen Science
    • Work with Us
      • Office of Human Resources
        • Working Here
        • Employee Benefits
        • Job Opportunities
        • How to Apply
        • Job Seekers with Disabilities
        • Frequently Asked Questions
        • SI Civil Program
        • Contact Us
      • Affiliations
      • Global Partners
  • Support
    • About Membership
    • Become a Member
    • Renew Your Membership
    • Make a Gift
  • About
    • Museums and Zoo
    • Research Centers
    • Cultural Centers
    • Education
    • Our Organization
      • Leadership
        • Secretary Bunch
        • Advancement
        • Communications
        • Administration
        • Education
        • Museums and Culture
        • Science and Research
      • Board of Regents
        • Members
        • Committees
        • Reading Room
        • Bylaws, Policies and Procedures
        • Contact
        • Schedules and Agendas
        • Meeting Minutes
        • Actions
        • Webcasts
      • General Counsel
        • Legal History
        • Internships
        • Records Requests
          • Records Request Reading Room
        • Tort Claim
        • Subpoenas & Testimonies
        • Events
      • Equal Employment Office
        • EEO Complaint Process
        • Individuals with Disabilities
        • Special Emphasis Program
        • Supplier Diversity Program
          • Doing Business with Us
          • Policies and Procedures
          • Additional Resources
          • Goals and Accomplishments
      • Sponsored Projects
        • Policies
          • Animal Care and Use
          • Human Research
        • Reports
        • Internships
    • Reports and Plans
      • Annual Reports
      • Metrics Dashboard
        • Dashboard Home
        • Virtual Smithsonian
        • Public Engagement
        • National Collections
        • Research
        • People & Operations
        • One Smithsonian
      • Strategic Plan
    • Newsdesk
      • News Releases
      • Media Contacts
      • Photos and Video
      • Media Kits
      • Fact Sheets
      • Visitor Stats
      • Secretary and Admin Bios
      • Filming Requests

"Genuine Henry Aaron Louisville Slugger" Baseball Bat

National Museum of American History

Addthis Share Tools

    • Print

Object Details

thru person
Williams, Billy B.
associated person
Aaron, Hank
Hillerich & Bradsby Co.
Description
The Louisville Slugger is the most popular and longest running made bat in baseball history. It is said to be the “greatest American product ever made in the USA.” The Louisville Slugger is made by the Hillerich & Bradsby Company, Inc., in Louisville, Kentucky. Founded in 1859, the company began as a woodworking business, turning out products such as bedposts, bowling pins, bowling balls, handrails and porch columns. In 1884, the “Falls City Slugger” was introduced by a 17 year old, John Hillerich. While watching one of his favorite baseball players break his bat in a game, Hillerich offered to make him a new one. With that an industry was born. In 1884 the name was changed to “Louisville Slugger” and was registered as an official trademark. The company began making bats for everyone in baseball and soon established an extensive catalog of pattern bats. These were bats made to a player’s certain specifications and the formulas were kept in Hillerich & Bradsby’s vaults for future use. The bats made from these “patterns” were branded with the player’s name and signature. The pattern bat shown here is for Hank Aaron, who used a bat similar in shape to Babe Ruth’s but was 35 inches long and weighed only 33 ounces. Ruth’s bat was only an inch longer but was 9 ounces heavier than Aarons.
Location
Currently not on view
Credit Line
Hillerich & Bradsby Company Incorporated
1975
ID Number
1992.0145.03
catalog number
1992.0145.03
accession number
1992.0145
Object Name
bat, baseball
Physical Description
wood, ash (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 35 in x 2 1/2 in; 88.9 cm x 6.35 cm
place made
United States: Kentucky, Louisville
See more items in
Culture and the Arts: Sport and Leisure
National Museum of American History
subject
Baseball
Professional
Sports
Record ID
nmah_1120871
Metadata Usage (text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746ac-2cf5-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

Related Content

  • Explore America: Kentucky

Baseball bat, Hank Aaron Model, wood
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
View manifest View in Mirador Viewer

Footer logo

Link to homepage

Footer navigation

  • Contact Us
  • Press Room
  • Human Resources
  • Host Your Event
  • Access Smithsonian
  • EEO & Supplier Diversity
  • Inspector General
  • Records Requests
  • Privacy
  • Terms of Use

Social media links

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Email signup form

Email powered by BlackBaud (Privacy Policy, Terms of Use)
Back to Top