1896 Groton School Football Signed Cabinet Photo

 Here is an amazingly clear photo of the 1896 Groton football team.  The most important player in the image is future Yale star and 4 time all American Francis Gordon Brown.  I have posted some of his images from his Yale playing days from 1897-1900.

Even though he played the same years in college as another 4 time all American Truxton Hare they never ended up playing in college.  However in 1896 Groton played Hare’s St. Marks team and dominated them 46-0.

On the back are signatures of the team.  Brown’s signature is difficult to come by because he passed young at 30.

1899 Indiana University football Player

 Here is a very interesting image of an 1899-1900 Indiana University football photo.  Fresh with a Spalding #50 helmet, Morril nose guard  and sewed on padding.  

1880s Penn State Football Medallion

 One of the oldest football related jewelry items I have come across.  This gold medallion displays the old colors of Penn State from 1887-90 on an enamel melon football.  Their first colors was a combination of Pink and Black.  They changed to the blue and white colors we are accustomed to in 1890.  

I included a collotype photo I have of the 1889 team along with the color chant from an old La Vie yearbook I have.  Here is a more in depth article on the color exchange  https://www.psu.edu/news/campus-life/story/dear-old-state-pink-and-black-blue-and-white.  I also took a few snippets of the interesting parts of the article if you don’t want to read.

1888 Albert Holden Harvard Pach Bros photo

 Here is an amazing Pach brothers cabinet photo of one of the premier football players in the 1880s Bert Holden.  He was captain for Harvard in 1887 and 88.  The 1887 team went 10-1 with their only loss being a close one to Yale in which Holden starred as rusher.

1884 Dartmouth Football Team

 Here is an amazingly vivid image of the 1884 Dartmouth football team.  They only played 4 games this season going 1-2-1.  They suffered the worst loss of early football getting beat down 113-0 from the powerhouse Yale men.