By Brad Segall

DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (CBS) — The Mercer Museum, in Bucks County, is hosting a new exhibition starting today that tells the untold story of the role women have played in America’s pastime: the game of baseball.

Ask anyone about women’s baseball and they’ll likely tell you they saw the hit movie A League of Their Own, about the women’s leagues during World War II, but exhibit curator John Kovach says women have been playing baseball since the mid-1800s.

“I kind of got hooked into the collecting… ‘bug’ I guess is the best way to describe it, and actually have built a pretty substantial collection of things,” he says, “and I was actually able to utilize just my collection for the things that are on exhibit here.”

“Linedrives and Lipstick” features more than sixty artifacts ranging from picture postcards and game programs to photos and equipment.

Kovach says the exhibit goes well beyond just the All American Girls Baseball League of the 1940s.   On hand for today’s opening will be Ruth Richard, the catcher on the Rockford Peaches who inspired the Geena Davis character in the movie.

The traveling exhibit will be at the Mercer until March 17th.