Staging a 1960s World Series Collection

Adele Kurtz
by Adele Kurtz
My hubby, Rich, collected memorabilia including a signed ball from every Pirates player, the manager, coaches, broadcaster & team owner, Bing Crosby, to commemorate the Greatest Ball Game in History, the 1960 World Series: in which the underdog Pirates beat the favored Yankees.
It was a labor of love to give to his father in the last years of his life.
After his dad passed, we got the collection back. Rich completed it over the next few years, (tough to get every player) added a few more mementos from his days as a sports reporter -- but was at a loss as to how to display it.
Creativity to the Rescue!
Rich had made these open shelves for his obsolete DVD collection. They were stashed in a bedroom, secured 4-across, hip high across a full wall, looking silly and useless. I cleaned them off and stained them, stacked them 2-high staggered, on the mid-rise of a stairwell where I displayed my paintings.


I actually like the contrast of my paintings -- their large scale and bold traditional colors -- within the tight stairwell packed with all these smaller but more significant relics.


It feels somewhat overwhelming -- but in a good way.
Perfectly repurposed.
I sponged the wall behind the shelving in a dark red paint, and sealed it with a sponge coat of McCloskey Special Effects Color Glaze. Looks like old red leather!
I left the wall above the shelving, rising 22' to the ceiling, in the contractor's white -- because I just hate working on tall step ladders to paint high ceilings!


We arranged newspaper clippings & authentic beer cans & mits & balls & shirts & bats to look like a permanent historical collection, as it is!


The balls are arranged in order of player positions over a news clipping from the day.
Rich actually introduced both his dad and his young son to Roberto Clemente -- on separate occasions. Met the great player, chatted amicably & was invited back, given a fully autographed program -- even before he got his official press credentials. It was a humbling life-changing experience.
I wasn't quite satisfied with the colors on the stairwell...
I loved the contrast of a metallic blue-green against the red-leather & wood... but something was missing...
Flat Grey trim added the punch & drama I wanted to see.
To cover the last group of DVDs my husband refused to part with -- I took 4 beaded placemats and turned them into a curtain for a low shelf.
All in all we are very proud of this collection and the way it is displayed. It may be the most complete individual collection for a single baseball game.


But more importantly, it represents the bond my husband shared with his father. A love of the Game!
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  • Nicolette Spargo Nicolette Spargo on Jan 16, 2017
    I absolutely love this! Everything comes together so nicely
  • Pinkflmgo626 Pinkflmgo626 on Jul 19, 2020

    Such a huge labor of love!! My husband loved baseball & umpired high school games his entire life, taking time off with fellow umps to visit pro games around the country. I wish he could’ve seen this. Everything you’ve done here is perfectly displayed! I feel like I can’t say enough about this!! Thank you for sharing these iconic memories!!

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