Hand-decorated and signed commemorative baseball, 1968 / HABANA

Object/Artifact

-

Archive of Cuban Socialism

Name/Title

Hand-decorated and signed commemorative baseball, "1968 / HABANA"

Entry/Object ID

2025.1.143

Description

A leather-covered baseball, hand-decorated and signed on the documented face. The design, in colored ink/pencil, shows two crossed flags — at left the Cuban flag (blue-and-white stripes, red hoist triangle with white star), at right a predominantly red flag bearing an indistinct upper-hoist emblem — above the lettering "1968" (in blue) and "HABANA" (in red). Apparent autograph signatures in red, blue, and green inks appear above and below the flag design, several overlapping the seams. The cover is stitched in the standard two-piece pattern with dark red waxed thread. No manufacturer branding is visible on the documented face.

Use

Kept as a souvenir by Leopoldo Arús Gálvez.

Collection

The Cabrera Arús family collection, Leopoldo Arús Gálvez collection

Acquisition

Accession

2025.1

Notes

Belonged to Leopoldo Arús Gálvez

Made/Created

Date made

circa 1968

Time Period

1960s

Inscription/Signature/Marks

Notes

Hand-drawn (colored ink/pencil): crossed Cuban flag (left) and a red flag with an indistinct emblem (right); "1968"; "HABANA." Autograph signatures in red, blue, and green inks, above and below the flag design; most readings illegible or uncertain; signers not identified.

Materials

Material Notes

Materials: Leather cover; red waxed stitching thread; internal wound core (inferred from standard construction; interior not examined). Applied colored inks and/or colored pencil for the decoration and signatures. Technique: Factory-assembled baseball (wound core with stitched two-piece leather cover); hand-applied drawn decoration and signatures in colored inks/pencil.

Condition

Overall Condition

Fair

Relationships

Related Person or Organization

Person or Organization

Leopoldo Arús Gálvez

Notes

owner

Related Places

Place

City

Havana

Country

Cuba

Region

Caribbean, Central America

Notes

preservation, acquisition

Research Notes

Notes

Cuban baseball in 1968 included the VII Serie Nacional (1967–68, won by Habana) alongside international/amateur activity, but the event behind this ball is unresolved.

Created By

María A. Cabrera Arús

Create Date

March 16, 2026

Updated By

María A. Cabrera Arús

Update Date

June 14, 2026