Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris

Object Details

Artist

Russell Hoban, 4 Feb 1925 - 13 Dec 2011

Sitter

Mickey Charles Mantle, 20 Oct 1931 - 13 Aug 1995

Roger Eugene Maris, 10 Sep 1934 - 14 Dec 1985

Exhibition Label

Born Hibbing, Minnesota

For more than three decades, Babe Ruth’s single-season tally of sixty home runs in 1927 stood as baseball’s most hallowed record. But when a home-run duel ignited between Yankee teammates Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris in the summer of 1961, many fans found themselves rooting for Mantle to beat the Babe’s mark. Since joining the ball club in 1951, the switch-hitting Mantle, with his huge swing and phenomenal power, had been widely regarded as the heir to such Yankee titans as Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Now, with four home-run titles and baseball’s Triple Crown to his credit, Mantle seemed the natural choice to outdistance the newcomer Maris in the race for Ruth’s record. The contest remained neck and neck until September when, sidelined by an infection, Mantle ended his quest at fifty-four home runs, while Maris powered ahead to a new record of sixty-one.

Collection Description

In 1978, Time magazine donated approximately eight hundred works of original cover art to the National Portrait Gallery. The museum is dedicated to telling the stories of individuals who have shaped the United States, and the Time Collection—featuring prominent international figures and events—enriches our understanding of the United States in a global context.

En 1978, la revista Time donó a la National Portrait Gallery cerca de 800 obras de arte originales creadas para sus portadas. Nuestro museo se dedica a narrar la historia de figuras que han contribuido a forjar el desarrollo de Estados Unidos, y es así que la Colección Time, que incluye retratos de importantes personalidades internacionales, nos ayuda a comprender mejor a nuestra nación en un contexto global.

Credit Line

National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Time magazine

c. 1961

Object number

NPG.88.TC139

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Copyright

© Estate of Russell Hoban

Type

Painting

Medium

Casein on board

Dimensions

Board: 87.9 x 61cm (34 5/8 x 24")

Frame: 100.3 x 73.3 x 5.1cm (39 1/2 x 28 7/8 x 2")

See more items in

National Portrait Gallery Collection

Exhibition

Champions

On View

NPG, South Gallery 341 Mezzanine

National Portrait Gallery

Topic

Costume\Headgear\Hat

Equipment\Sports Equipment\Baseball Equipment\Baseball

Exterior\Sports arena\Baseball stadium

Human Figures\Crowd

Roger Eugene Maris: Male

Roger Eugene Maris: Sports and Recreation\Athlete\Baseball

Mickey Charles Mantle: Male

Mickey Charles Mantle: Sports and Recreation\Athlete\Baseball

Portrait

Record ID

npg_NPG.88.TC139

Metadata Usage (text)

Usage conditions apply

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4a245dc32-1401-4756-a546-0ad0703f7e80