Great article. I look forward to your book. Below are a few references to the ball from primary sources:
Dec. 8, 1870, The Indiana Democrat, (PA): "A foot-ball manufacturer, casting about for a light and permanently elastic stuffing for his balls, hit upon sponge cut into small pieces and treated with glycerine. The material proved so decided a success that he patented the idea, sold his patent to be applied in the upholstery purposes for $75,000, and to-day the procurement and preparation of elastic sponge is one of the most flourishing branches of commercial and manufacturing industry."
Dec. 17, 1873, The Titusville Herald (PA) headline "Football at Yale" regarding a game between Yale men and Etonians, quotes the Yale Record: "...The first game was hard fought...After about fifteen minutes play the ball was broken, but Yale having learnt by experience at the Princeton match, had provided extra balls..."
May 11, 1874, The Boston Daily Globe in the "Base ball [sic) Notes" column referring to the "foot-ball" game between Harvard and McGill states: "The ball used by the McGills is simply a bladder covered with leather, and is much harder to kick than the ordinary rubber ball."
Nov. 6, 1875, The Boston Daily Globe in "College Notes" column: "The football eleven are hard at work practicing for the coming match with Yale Concessionary rules have been adopted, so the game will be neither Harvard nor Rugby. A rubber ball will be used."
Source for these excerpts is "The Lost Century of American Football."
Allison Danzig's "Oh, How They Played the Game" (1971) quotes a 1949 interview of 90-year-old Henry Green Duffield, who attended the 1869 game at Princeton as a ten-year-old:
"The ball was not an oval but was supposed to be completely round. It never was, though - it was too hard to blow up right. The game was stopped several times that day while the teams called for a little key from the sidelines. They used it to unlock the small nozzle which was tucked into the ball, and then took turns blowing it up. The last man generally got tired and they put it back in play somewhat lopsided..."
Great article. I look forward to your book. Below are a few references to the ball from primary sources:
Dec. 8, 1870, The Indiana Democrat, (PA): "A foot-ball manufacturer, casting about for a light and permanently elastic stuffing for his balls, hit upon sponge cut into small pieces and treated with glycerine. The material proved so decided a success that he patented the idea, sold his patent to be applied in the upholstery purposes for $75,000, and to-day the procurement and preparation of elastic sponge is one of the most flourishing branches of commercial and manufacturing industry."
Dec. 17, 1873, The Titusville Herald (PA) headline "Football at Yale" regarding a game between Yale men and Etonians, quotes the Yale Record: "...The first game was hard fought...After about fifteen minutes play the ball was broken, but Yale having learnt by experience at the Princeton match, had provided extra balls..."
May 11, 1874, The Boston Daily Globe in the "Base ball [sic) Notes" column referring to the "foot-ball" game between Harvard and McGill states: "The ball used by the McGills is simply a bladder covered with leather, and is much harder to kick than the ordinary rubber ball."
Nov. 6, 1875, The Boston Daily Globe in "College Notes" column: "The football eleven are hard at work practicing for the coming match with Yale Concessionary rules have been adopted, so the game will be neither Harvard nor Rugby. A rubber ball will be used."
Source for these excerpts is "The Lost Century of American Football."
Wow. Thanks. I will check out each of the references. The May 11, 1874 quote suggests McGill brought a ball, which is not the standard story.
Just in case you didn't see this:
Allison Danzig's "Oh, How They Played the Game" (1971) quotes a 1949 interview of 90-year-old Henry Green Duffield, who attended the 1869 game at Princeton as a ten-year-old:
"The ball was not an oval but was supposed to be completely round. It never was, though - it was too hard to blow up right. The game was stopped several times that day while the teams called for a little key from the sidelines. They used it to unlock the small nozzle which was tucked into the ball, and then took turns blowing it up. The last man generally got tired and they put it back in play somewhat lopsided..."