December 4, 2008
Leather football helmets were introduced in 1893, after doctors warned that a blow to the head could be fatal or cause 'instant insanity.' Football helmets didn't really catch on until the 1920's, however, and weren't mandatory until the 1930's.
When most people think of classic vintage football helmets, they think of the leather padded style popular in the 1940's. The first logos were put on helmets in 1948, and leather was soon phased out. The helmets most valued by collectors today are the older leather ones, with the exception of more modern helmets worn (and/or signed) by famous players, and those with logos which are no longer in use or from teams that no longer exist.
This great database of pro and collegiate football cards from the 1950s and 1960s offers scanned images of cards fo… [more]
Brian Powers' excellent gallery of over a century of Wolverines ticket stubs (1900 to 2005), not to mention a lot o… [more]
While missing a few editions, this gallery of University of Washington football game program cover art is must-see … [more]
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