A new exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History in New York showcases a wide range of medals, trophies and other keepsakes spanning nearly 150 years of US sports history. Titled 'For the Win', the display is timed to the upcoming World Cup and aims to give fans a closer look at the iconic hardware that often remains out of reach.
Highlights include the 1877 NYPD Medal of Valor, whose interlocking N and Y are said to have inspired the New York Yankees' logo; one of Jesse Owens's four gold medals from the 1936 Berlin Games; and WNBA star Breanna Stewart's 2024 championship ring, which also houses a pair of matching earrings. Victory photography and other talismans, such as the pearl necklace worn by Atlanta Braves outfielder Joc Pederson during the 2021 World Series, round out the exhibition.
The show is housed in the museum's gems and minerals space to emphasise the craftsmanship of the individual pieces. 'If you think about what a museum is, these are artifacts from history – moments in time that people want to recall or learn about,' said Rich Kleiman, a senior adviser on the project. 'These trophies, rings and medals are artifacts in the same way. They fit in perfectly well.'
Kleiman, a longtime agent and business partner to NBA star Kevin Durant, helped secure loans for the exhibition. Durant lent his 2024 Olympic gold medal and 2017 NBA championship ring, but not all prizes are easily parted with. The Heisman Trophy, for example, is almost never relinquished, while the NHL's Stanley Cup is passed around but ultimately returned to the league.
The exhibition was conceived by author and cultural critic Vikki Tobak, who previously curated a hip-hop jewellery exhibition at the same museum. She saw an opportunity to marry sports mythology with New York swagger while reflecting the museum's science-driven mission. 'You realise that they really are just proxies for this road to becoming great and being excellent at what you do,' Tobak said of the trophies and medals.
