Today's Tidbit... Outfitting A Football Club at the Hardware Store

Hardware stores once sold a broader range of goods than they do today, and many small-town teams were outfitted by the hardware man. Two pages from St. Louis’ Norvell-Shapleigh (c. 1905) show they offered union suits, pants, nose guards, jock strap suspensories, and foot ball inflators. Footballs, shoes, and other items would have been available on other pages.

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