Here is a nice cabinet photo of the 1891 Dickinson football team from Carlisle Pennsylvania. They went 2-2-1 with an away game loss against Navy. The head coach was Willard Lake and the Captain was John Hynson.
Sunday, March 29, 2026
Friday, March 27, 2026
1890s Ohio Football Star Frank Fisher donated Sterling Steele Trophy
Here is a Marcus and Co. Sterling Silver trophy cup given by Buchtel football star Frank Talbott Fisher. He played on the 1893 and 1894 Buchtel teams that were coached by legendary coach John Heisman. Fisher played fullback and was captain of the 1894 team. In 1902 he donated two $50 trophies to the school for track. One being to the athlete making the most points three years in succession as shown and the other a class cup.
Thursday, March 26, 2026
1869 Turf Field and Farm Periodical with First Thanksgiving game
Shortly after the first collegiate football game between Princeton and Rutgers there was the first Thanksgiving football contest between Germantown and Young American Cricket Clubs. Here is an excerpt from the game.
Friday, March 20, 2026
1900 Nebraska Football Team Celluloid Pin
This is an example of a beautiful 1900 celluloid pin of the Nebraska football team. Celluloid pins started to become popular around the turn of the century. Nebraska went 6-1-1 in a successful season. This is the first year they became known as the Cornhuskers.
Thursday, March 12, 2026
1896 Yale football Imperial Team Photo
Here is a beautiful imperial photo of the 1896 Yale football team. They went 13-1 this year with their only loss to Princeton. Notable players include captain Fred T. Murphy, Burr Chamberlain, Louis Hinkey, Clarence Fincke, Lyman Bass, and Charles Chadwick. Original team photos like this are hard to find in the late 1890s because they are primarily in the photo yearbooks.
Tuesday, March 10, 2026
1906 University of Georgia football players with Harold “War Eagle” Ketron
Here is an interesting photo of the 1906 Georgia football team. In the middle is the head coach George S Whitney. In the “G” sweater is the captain Dan Sage. Second to the right is Harold “War Eagle” Ketron who was an early star for Georgia. He was known to spit chewing tobacco in his opponents eyes on occasion before making a tackle.
Saturday, March 7, 2026
1886 Princeton Football Captain Henry Savage
Here is a nice Pach cabinet of Henry Savage in his football uniform most likely from 1885 and his grad photo in 1886. Savage helped Princeton beat Yale in 1885 to an undefeated record. The next year in 1886 he captained the team to another successful season.
Tuesday, March 3, 2026
1893 Cambridge Manual Training School
Here is an 1893 photo of Cambridge Manual Training School. CMTS was a vocational high school next to Harvard. This is a very early integrated football team image.
Monday, February 23, 2026
1884 Hopkinson Football Team
Here is a very clear oversized imperial of the 1884 Hopkinson football team. Hopkinson was a feeder school for Harvard.
Sunday, February 22, 2026
1900 Texas football player D.A. Mcdaniel as 1903 Arkansas football coach
Here is an early image of University of Texas football player D.A. McDaniel. McDaniel coached the University of Arkansas team in 1903.
Tuesday, February 17, 2026
1886 Tiffany and Co Sterling Silver Knowlton “Snake” Ames trophy cup
Here is an 1886 Tiffany and Co. Sterling Silver trophy given to Knowlton “Snake” Ames. On one side is engraved Prize and the other Cup. According to the Dec. 3rd 1886 Princetonian, Ames won the cup offered to the member of the eleven who scored the most touchdowns in championship games with seven total.
Ames was a four year starter at Princeton and became a member of the inaugural All American class his senior year in 1889. He also went on to play for the Chicago Athletic Club. He coached for 3 seasons at Northwestern and Purdue. He was undefeated at Purdue. He was later named to the college football hall of fame.
I included a cabinet photo I have of the 1886 team. He is far left with the cap. The closeup photo of him is from a cabinet I have of the 1889 championship team.


































