Events

Game Changers: Invention, Sports & Style

Explore the Creative Forces Transforming the Game

“Game Changers: Invention, Sports & Style”

Explore the Creative Forces Transforming the Game

A colorful graphic of stylized athletes performing a variety of sport activities.

February 15, 2025 | National Museum of American History, Washington, D.C.

Presented by: The Smithsonian's Lemelson Center, The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and Politics of Patents (POP) from Goldsmiths, University of London

 

Event Overview

Explore how innovations in ready-to-wear clothes transformed sports, especially for women in the 1890s to today, through hands-on activities, guided exhibit tours, and engaging discussions. This all-day event invites students, families, and community members to discover their inventive identities and learn how innovation has changed the game—on and off the field.

 

Key Details

When: Saturday, February 15 from 10:00 A.M. until 5:30 P.M.

Location: Wallace H. Coulter Plaza, National Museum of American History (NMAH), Washington, D.C.

Admission: Free, no tickets required

Group of female students participate in the "Invent a Game" activity at the National Museum of American History.

Event Highlights

All-Day Experiences (10:00 A.M. – 5:30 P.M.):

Interactive exhibits and activities at multiple stations, including:

  • "Change Your Game"/"Cambia tu juego" guided exhibition tours
  • Object Project’s "Wheel Woman" exhibit
  • POP and USPTO interactive booths
  • Objects related to historical fashion innovations out of storage from the Smithsonian’s Collection
  • Hands-on invention activities and story time with author Arlyne Simon
A photocopy of 4 line drawings for the design of the original Jogbra, with front, side, and back views, as well as depictions of the pattern pieces. The drawings are on business stationery, with Polly Palmer Smith printed at the top and Costume Designer, 27 St. Marks Place, NYC, NY 10003, printed at the bottom. The drawings include instructions and a list of materials from which the Jogbra could be made. The drawing is undated, and someone has written across the top, “Don’t Lose. I don’t have another.”

Panel Discussions & Q&A (11:00 A.M. – 3:00 P.M.):
Join experts and inventors to discuss the transformative power of invention in sports and fashion for rotating, 20-minute audience engagements sessions with event participants and inventors, including:

  • 11:00 A.M. & 1:00 P.M. – POP’s Kat Jungnickel and Lemelson Center’s Eric S. Hintz
  • Noon & 2:00 P.M. – USPTO’s Elizabeth Dougherty and Jogbra inventors Lisa Lindahl and Polly Palmer Smith

 

Why Attend?

Discover how inventions have shaped sports and women’s fashion.

Engage in hands-on learning activities designed to inspire the next generation of inventors.

Learn about intellectual property and how it supports innovation and creativity.

 

Event Partners

This event is made possible through the collaboration of the Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and Politics of Patents (POP).

 

Plan Your Visit

Location: National Museum of American History, 1300 Constitution Ave NW, Washington, D.C.
Date: Saturday, February 15, 2025
Admission: Free and open to all ages

 

Contact & More Information

For questions or group reservations, please contact: Laura Havel, Communications Manager, havell@si.edu