Wilson's 1955-56 Catalog and the Future of Face Masks

I've written about the evolution of face masks in the past, but a recent acquisition illustrates how the future of face masks took a turn in the mid-1950s.

Football History As Told By Sporting Goods Catalogs: Nose Guards and Face Masks

A History of Helmet and Face Mask Requirements

Today's Tidbit... Rawlings Safe-T-Vue Face Protectors

Today's Tidbit... The Last Heisman Winner without a Face Mask

Football faced a critical juncture in head protection in the 1950s. Riddell introduced plastic helmets in 1940, but plastics became unavailable for civilian use within a year, so leather remained the primary material for helmet construction until post-war. As the 1940s closed and the 1950s began, plastic helmets quickly became the preferred tool, though a strong and vocal opposition argued that the hard surface of plastic helmets endangered others more than it helped wearers. The NFL banned plastic helmets for one year, and some coaches prohibited their teams from using them.

Along with the plastic helmet of the early 1950s came various face masks. The nose guard preceded the face mask in 1892. Full-face executioner's masks arrived in the 1920s, along with birdcage face masks. The latter looked much like today's face masks but tended to cover only the top half of the face, so they worked for players with injured noses or eyeglasses.

Plastic helmets were sufficiently effective for the wearer that they affected play, with heads used more recklessly. The helmet's rigidity also meant it hurt more when hit in the face with a plastic helmet than a leather helmet. The combination led to increased demand for better facial protection. The demand also resulted from more and more players wearing birdcage face masks, leading to more of birdcages hitting another player's face.

Equipment manufacturers went to work. They followed the nose guard model by creating protective devices that rested directly on the face and the birdcage model that extended from the helmet. The 1955-56 Wilson Fall and Winter catalog shows both types of face masks across three pages.'

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