Today's Tidbits... 1894 Footballists and Their Armor

Newspapers of the 1890s periodically had articles explaining football basics for the many Americans who had never seen a game. Still played mainly by college boys, the game had not reached many dusty little towns. An offshoot of the articles describing the nature of play concerned football players' equipment or armor. So, here are the images in the order they appear in the article ‘Footballists,’ from the October 20, 1894, issue of the Cincinnati Post.

First on the docket is the illustration of period headgear, which premiered several years earlier. Presumably, there was a similar padded guard for the right ear.

The well-protected player wore headgear and a nose guard to protect his schnozz and teeth.