1902 Princeton Football Team / John Dewitt / Ralph Davis

 

Our blog post dated December 25, 2020 first referenced Joseph H. Bearns and his attendance at every Yale – Princeton  match from 1890 until 1949, 56 of 57 matches, missing only 1901 due to illness (1917, 1918 and 1944 were not played due to war).

It was Bearns who called out John Dewitt as the most outstanding Princeton player overall that he had seen (echoed in other references) in six decades of watching Princeton football.

Having never picked up a photo of or with Dewitt in it we chose to bid on the above team photo several months ago.

This team photo, with all members identified, is from 1902. Dewitt (front row second from the right) would captain the Tigers the following year, taking over from Davis (holding the ball). The two had played directly across from one another in 1899 when Lawrenceville met Andover. Both were tackles at the time, Davis moving to end and Dewitt to guard at Princeton. Dewitt was a two time All-American (1902, 1903) at the guard position (as well as performing all of the team's kicking). He became well known for competing in the hammer throw (world record in 1903), winning a silver medal in the summer Olympics in 1904. (There are many interesting parallels to William Hickok of Yale; see blog post dated August 27, 2023). 

A banquet took place on December 18, 1902 honoring both ex-football Captain Ralph Davis and newly elected Captain John DeWitt at the Tiger Inn. Speakers included toastmaster L.C. Fairbanks, President of the University Woodrow Wilson, J.B. Fine, H.G. Duffield (mentioned at some length later in this posting) and a number of Princeton captains and managers. Davis and DeWitt both made short speeches to close out the night. 

It is well known that Dewitt as a freshman broke bones in the back of his right hand. What isn't well known is that afterwards he wore a sole leather guard on the back of his hand for protection. According to Heff Herring, Sandy Hunt, a Cornell guard (and former Captain) claimed this hand guard "partook of the nature of a lethal weapon". It is unknown how the changes in the 1903 football rules affected the use of this guard (rule 27), as any "devices for protectors must be arranged and padded as, in the judgement of the umpire, to be without danger to other players" (For a related post dealing with this rules change see the post dated August 15, 2022).

                                       Dewitt wearing his hand guard

                                           Captain Davis signed photo 

Ralph Tipton Davis was an All-American end in 1901. He was also a member of the track and baseball teams, and was considered the best overall athlete in his class. Like DeWitt, Davis competed in the hammer throw, breaking an intercollegiate record in 1902. There was considerable controversy regarding Davis' playing for the Princeton Nine, as he had previously played professionally under an assumed name (his middle name) for Atlantic City. He later claimed that he had never been paid to play, thus maintaining his college eligibility. This led to claims that various Princeton athletic faculty committees whitewashed the actual situation to allow Davis to play.

 Davis' 18K gold Cap and Gown Eating Club membership pin. Eating Clubs were an important part of nineteenth century University life, fulfilling the dual purpose of dining establishment and social club. Established at Princeton in 1891 the club was selective in its membership and is one of the few such clubs that exists today. 

As an aside to the subject matter of this post, we got to wondering whether Joseph Bearns was alone in his attendance records and passion for Princeton – Yale football games. We’d like to share some of what we found.

From the December 1, 1933 Princeton Alumni Weekly:

“Joseph H. Bearns of Brooklyn writes to the Weekly to know if anyone can compete with his unique record for attendance at Yale – Princeton football games. He has attended thirty seven out of the last 38 (as of 1933), and is not an alumnus of either institution. The best record for an alumnus, as Princetonians well know is held by Thomas N. McCarter ’88, who has seen every game since 1878. Henry G. Duffield ’81, former treasurer of the University has seen every game since 1884. Judge Lewis H. Van Dusen ’98 of Philadelphia has seen every Yale – Princeton game since 1892.”

From the Richmond Times Dispatch, February 24, 1950:

“Longtime Princeton Fan, Henry G. Duffield, Dies (February 22, 1950). Henry G. Duffield, an ardent Princeton University football fan for 80 of his 90 years, died last night at his home. Duffield as a boy of 10, witnessed the second intercollegiate football game here in 1869. He saw last year’s game from an automobile parked near the field in Palmer Stadium. During his lifetime, Duffield saw 550 of Princeton’s 623 football games. He hadn’t missed a Princeton – Yale game since 1884. Born here and a member of the Princeton class of 1881, Duffield was the treasurer of the university for 30 years before his retirement in 1930.”

From the Jersey Journal  November 10, 1938 Jersey City, NJ:

“Four football enthusiasts, one of them a resident of this city will add to the longstanding “big 3” game attendance records when Yale and Princeton meet at Palmer Stadium, in Princeton, in the 62^nd game of the series. Charles C. Black of this city, former New Jersey Supreme Court Justice, has missed but two of the Tiger and Bulldog clashes. A member of the 1878 graduating class, Black failed to see the first game between the rivals in 1873 and the one in 1879. Thomas N. McCarter, of Rumson, like Black, has been a regular attendant. He launched his string in 1878 and has seen 58 games, while Henry G. Duffield of Princeton has seen 53 since 1884. All three and Joseph H. Bearns of Brooklyn, who has seen 38 since 1890, will be on hand again Saturday." 

One other individual had been mentioned in regards to his attendance at the Princeton - Yale games, John B. Renwick (Princeton Alumni Weekly, November 13, 1936). Renwick had been the former host at the Nassau Inn and later ran his own business, Renwick's Restaurant. He had seen 43 Princeton - Yale games as of 1936, passing away in 1937. Coincidently, to this post, Renwick presented John Dewitt with " a de luxe edition of "The History of Princeton Athletics" bearing the following inscription: To John R. Dewitt: The universally acknowledged football hero of 1903, captain of the championship team which, after winning an unbroken series of games, unscored on by opponents, triumphed over Yale by a score of 11-6; to a player of unexcelled ability; to a captain than whom there has been no greater; to Princeton's favorite who made the first touchdown for Old Nassau in the Yale game, this book is presented by his friend, John B. Renwick."(New York Evening Post, November 21, 1903)

Unfortunately, as far as we know, only Bearns put pen to paper and published his assessments of Princeton and Yale players, teams and contests over a six decade period  (in two publications). He saw many of the early greats compete.

Scarce J.A. Saxe Signature

 

We originally wrote about James Alfred Saxe as part of our post of December 15, 2014, 1884 Wesleyan Football Team / J.A. Saxe / F.D. Beattys. We found a superb and scarce example of his signature and wanted to share it. 

As previously stated, Saxe was a leading player of the period, first playing for Wesleyan, then Harvard in 1887 and 1889. 

Tim Wakefield 1966 - 2023

 Tim Wakefield played nineteen seasons in MLB, and was a Red Sox fan favorite, known for his knuckleball pitch. Jacob and Tim around 2005.

Pottsville Football Team c.1921

 Before they were officially the Pottsville Maroons (three years later), and before gaining admittance to the NFL (playing their first year in 1925), this Pottsville team played in what became the tough Anthracite League. This photo is said to have been hanging in the Zacko Sporting Goods store and has an address label for Russ Zacko on the lower left margin.

All players are identified in the lower margin which is always helpful when looking at early team photographs.

For a summary of the Pottsville Maroons story (and it’s a hell of a story) please see blog entries dated March 21, 2020, March 26, 2018 and March 23, 2017.

Yale Crew Cap / Kepi c.1894

 

Cap worn by Arthur Walker Bingham, Yale ’96, as part of his rowing attire. Bingham rowed class crew as a sophomore and junior. These caps were marketed for "Yachting" or "Navy" (crew), available either with a flat top or “military shape” (based on the chasseur pattern kepi), with gold embroidered wreaths  and "gold embroidered names for boat clubs". This is the only example we have come across. Crew, as followers of this blog know is another of our key interests.

This cap is labelled E.S. Osborn, a dealer in hats and caps located at 91 Church Street in New Haven. It was the oldest hat dealer in the city, Osborn taking over from N.W. Mansfield in 1879.

Bingham later became a physician, and his first appointment was at Roosevelt Hospital in NYC (now Mount Sinai) in 1901. His Roosevelt Hospital Ambulance Surgeon cap/kepi c.1901 is also part of our collection (Jacob attended Mount Sinai Medical School).

Both caps were purchased when the Bingham estate was liquidated in 2017.

Adams Academy Foot Ball Club 1884

 The players are identified and the photo titled “Foot Ball Club 1884” in the lower margin.  A number of the players on this team became very well-known and many were from historically prominent families.

Two in particular were Charles Francis Adams lll and Charles Allen Porter.

Charles Francis Adams 3^rd , center, with his foot resting on the ball, attended Harvard after leaving Adams Academy, class of ‘88 and Harvard Law ’92.  Adams proposed to Congress that the USS Constitution be restored, which it then was,  served under President Hoover as the Secretary of the Navy, and skippered the Resolute, winning the America’s Cup in 1920. He also won the King’s Cup, the Astor Cup and the Puritan Cup. The Navy destroyer USS Charles F. Adams was dedicated to him. Adams was a great grandson of John Quincy Adams the sixth US president and a great great grandson of John Adams, the second US President.

Charles Allen Porter (sitting to the right in the photo of Adams, arms crossed) also attended Harvard, class of ’88, followed by Harvard Medical School where he became a professor of Surgery and was a Chief Surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital. At Harvard, Porter played for the varsity Football Eleven in 1886, ’87 and ’88.

I came home from Brimfield yesterday with this in hand. The photo is dirty, with some staining, a rip to the lower left and some fading to the names of the sitters. As researchers and collectors, these condition issues don’t bother us much, as it is an imposing photo and we take into account it’s age (from the early years of American football), rarity and importance. It has that great feel to it. Measures 17 ¾ x 14 ¾ including the albumin margin.

See related blog post on Adams Academy February 12, 2023

Silk Football Stocking Cap c.1890

 Towards the end of the 1880s stocking caps were manufactured not just in wool, but to a much lesser degree in silk. Spalding marketed such caps in the early 1890s and termed them “elastic” caps. A scarce cap type.

As mentioned previously in this blog, there were no standard conventions on football caps during this period and there could be a wide range of cap types even on the same team.

The pictured cap measures 12 ½” including the tassel.

Yale – Oxford Games of 1894 - Signed Team Photo / Hickok / Sanford

 

An exceedingly rare photo, taken in England by the photographer Jason Soame JR., of Oxford, of the 1894 Yale Athletic Team. All members of the team signed the photo, making this an exceptional piece;  12 5/8 x 15 3/8 ( including signatures). 

It was decided by A.B. Coxe and Walter Camp after years of impatiently waiting, that the time had come to challenge the British (due to Yale’s showing against Harvard and at the Intercollegiate Games at Berkeley Oval) in track and field events. The challenge was accepted and the Yale team set sail on the 15^th of June for Oxford, to train for two weeks before the contest.

Team member and Captain, William Orville Hickok is seen at the center of the photo. Being well known in athletic circles for his prowess and as a record holder in both shotput and hammer throw, Hickok was as well known for playing varsity football for Yale, playing guard in 1892, 1893 and 1894. A two-time football All American (1893 and 1894), Hickok was also immortalized in the 1894 Mayo Cut Plug card set. Hickok is certainly one of the more popular and better known Yale football players from the 1890s. 

Hickok won his events against the British, even though a “scrap” occurred over the hammer-throwing. “At first it was decided to use a four-foot hammer in a 14 foot ring, but later the Englishmen insisted on a three-and a half foot hammer and a seven foot ring”, with the hope that it would affect the outcome of the competition, which it did not. “Nothing was done by the Englishmen that could in any way be called illegal in athletic rules, yet there was a tendency to draw the reins pretty closely on Yale, and “jockeying” seemed the prevailing English spirit.”  Regardless, Hickok, a true gentleman and sportsman, had nothing but positive things to say about the contests and the hosts.  

Hickok

  The above photo of Hickok is from our copy of “The Yale Pot Pourri”, 1894 (ex J.C. Sawyer - signed)

In one of the more recognizable and reproduced photos of 1890s football, Hickok (closest to the camera, looking up) and his teammates execute the flying wedge.

Besides Hickok, another member of the Athletic Team played football at Yale as well, playing for the University Eleven in 1891, George Foster Sanford. Sanford was better known for his coaching in the years after he left Yale (3 years at Columbia (including beating Yale), a year at Virginia, and 11 years at Rutgers). It turns out that there is a tremendous amount of disinformation written about Sanford and his time at Yale. Very briefly, he joined the class of ‘94S, and in November of 1891 was playing for the Yale Football Eleven at center -  coincidently, with Hinkey, McCormick and Bliss, from the previous post. Sanford was known to put athletics before academics which was reason for him leaving the Scientific School to join Yale’s Law School, and in 1893 he was playing for the Law School Football Eleven. In 1894 Sanford was a member of the Athletic Team running the quarter mile and the 100 yard dash. Until just days before setting sail for England, Sanford was doubtful to take part. The dean of the Law School had protested his racing, and it wasn’t until passing his exams to the satisfaction of the faculty was he allowed to compete against Oxford in the 100 and 440 yds. Sanford left Yale in October of 1894.  This photo identified on the reverse as having belonged to Sanford.

                                  

                                                                          Sanford

Other team members include:

E.H. Cady, Hurdles and High jump

D.B. Hatch, Hurdles and Broad Jump

A. Pond, 100 and 440 yds and Half-mile - Ashley Pond Jr. bought the land and founded the Los Alamos Ranch School, taken over in 1942 as the site of the Manhattan Project Weapons Development Laboratory (Project Y)(Oppenheimer).

W.S. Woodhull, Half-mile

J.E. Morgan, Mile and Half-mile

A. Brown, Shot and Hammer

L.P. Sheldon, Long Jump and High Jump - ran track at Andover in 1891, 1892

Full page with a cropped close up from the photo that is the subject of this post, from the publication “The Graphic” , July 21, 1894.

Phillips Andover Academy School Photos - Hinkey / McCormick / Bliss / Upton

 

                                       1888/1889 Philips Andover Academy Student Body

Two very rare, very large, early school photos, from the Ivy feeder school Phillips Andover. The first photo dates c.1888/1889, the second c.1889/1890.

Both photos have well known Yale stars Frank Hinkey, Vance McCormick and Laurie Bliss.

Hinkey played football at Andover in 1889 and 1890 (also baseball in 1891) and football for Yale in 1891, 1892, 1893 and 1894; Captain the last two years, and was a four-time All-American.

L.T. Bliss played football at Andover in 1888 and 1889 as Captain (alongside his brother C.D. Bliss in 1888)(he also played baseball in 1890) and football for Yale in 1891 and 1892. 

McCormick played football at Andover in 1889 (also baseball in 1889 and 1890) and football at Yale in 1891 and 1892 (as Captain). 

Not transitioning to Yale, but rather to Harvard is Joshua Damon Upton, who played football at Andover in 1888 (as well as baseball in 1888 and 1889) and went on to play varsity football at Harvard in 1889, 1890 and 1892 (as well as baseball in 1890, 91,92,93).  In 1892 Upton played against his former Andover schoolmates, Hinkey and McCormick, and both his former Andover teammates  L.T and C.D Bliss, as Yale and Harvard met on November 19^th (Yale winning 6-0).

          From the 1888/1889 school photo, with Hinkey, McCormick, Bliss and Upton identified

                                       1889/1890 Philips Andover Academy Student Body

                                                        Hinkey, from the 1889/1890 photo

                                                   L.T. Bliss, from the 1889/1890 photo

                                                    McCormick, from the 1889/1890 photo

                  1892 Yale Football Eleven with Hinkey, McCormick and Bliss - middle row L to R. Behind Hinkey's right shoulder is Bill Hickok, one of the subjects of the next post. 

Princeton Football Tintype C.T. Wood c.1891

 Sized somewhere between a ninth and a sixteenth plate, this somewhat smaller tintype exemplifies rarity. As we have pointed out in other posts in this blog, football tintypes are difficult to find, and those with identifiable sitters are exceedingly rare.

This tintype pictures Clinton Tyler Wood, Princeton ’92, who played for the University Eleven in 1889, ‘90 and ’91. In 1889 he was listed as a rusher, left tackle and right tackle in various game rosters. In 1890 he was listed as a left tackle and in 1891 as a halfback.

A wonderfully clear image.

Please see related blog entries dated August 11, 2013, November 3, 2014, October 19, 2016, October 25, 2019.

1899 Harvard Freshman Football Team Photo - Class Of 1903

 

This is an unusual class football photo in that nine of it’s sitters went on to play for the varsity.  Usually one might see just two or three. I labelled most of those that went on to play for the University Eleven in this wonderful oversized (16” x 20”, with mat) Pach Bros albumin photo. On the mat is the score against the Yale freshman team; Harvard 54, Yale 0, the game having taken place November 25^th, 1899.

Edward Bowditch, played on the varsity in ’00, ’01, ’02 and ’03. In 1901 he was a second team All-American and in 1902 and 1903 he was a first team All-American. He was also named to the exclusive Harvard All-Time Player Squad, as an end, in 1903. Bowdich's father, also Edward, Harvard class of 1869, was a founding member of the Oneida Football Club, and one of the seven surviving members when the Oneida Football Monument was placed in the Boston public Garden in 1923. "Walter camp of Yale, football authority, acknowledged the Oneida were the first to organize football in this country. Parke Davis, Princeton '93, in his exhaustive book on football, published in 1911 gives the earliest date of an intercollegiate game as 1869, the game between Princeton and Rutgers, seven years after the organization of the Oneida club." (quote from The Boston Globe, November 7, 1923).

Thomas Hetherington Graydon played for the varsity in ’00, ’01 and ’02, and was a first team All-American in 1901 and 1902.

Daniel Knowlton played for the varsity in ’02, ’03 and ’05, when he was acting captain. Knowlton was a second team All-American in 1902 and a first team All-American in 1903. He was also named to the exclusive Harvard All-Time Players Squad, as a tackle, in 1903. Knowlton was on the Committee of Football H Men, and was heavily involved in contributing to and distributing Morris Bealle’s book “The History of Football at Harvard". Knowlton is pictured in this book opposite page 512. We have more than a passing interest in Knowlton as he and his family were from the small town in Massachusetts that I raised my sons in.

Walter Smith Sugden, played for the varsity in 1902.

John Dudley Clark, played for the varsity in 1900 and 1902.

David Alonzo Baldwin played for the varsity in 1901.

Leo Jameson Daly, played for the varsity in 1902.

Alfred Stillman, played for the varsity in 1900 and 1902. He also played varsity baseball in 1900, 1901, 1902 and 1903.

Guy Lincoln Jones, played for the varsity in 1901.

Additional class football team members include:

McGrew

Hersey

Derby

Sprague

McDonald

Randolph

Riggs

Fox

Waterbury

Knowles

Johnny Poe and the U.S.S. Princeton , 1907

1907, and Johnny Poe* was again becoming restless. The soldier of fortune heard of a war brewing between Honduras and Nicaragua and made his way from Nevada, where he was mining, to board a steamer out of San Francisco for Nicaragua, to join up with their Army. The steamer docked in Honduras first and Johnny decided to join up with their army instead. He was quoted later as saying, “No matter where or on what side, they are both usually wrong, so it doesn’t make much difference which one chooses”.

During the war Johnny was captured by Nicaragua and was held on a charge of spying, and according to one source he was threatened with a firing squad. After two days of “rough” questioning, the Nicaraguans released him stipulating that he had 48 hours to leave the county.

“In one of those impossible twists of fate that seemed to follow him”, he was rescued by the American gunboat, the U.S.S. Princeton.

As the story goes, the commander of the U.S.S. Princeton told Poe, after giving him permission to board, to bring along his luggage. Johnny told him he had fifty four pieces, to which the commander exclaimed that he was not running a freighter. Poe told him not to get too excited as “my fifty four pieces consist of one pair of socks and a pack of playing cards”.

Upon his return to the U.S., Johnny had now become a veteran of five wars. A news article written in 1907 about Poe’s exploits was appropriately titled, “Looking For Trouble”, and subtitled, “Strenuous Life of One of The Famous Poes”.

His next war, WWl would be his sixth and last, as he was killed in action on September 25, 1915 at the Battle of Loos, as a member of the Black Watch, British Expeditionary Force.

We have a passion for sports related silk ribbons from the 19^th century. Although this scarce and attractive ribbon (in Princeton's colors) falls outside of that classification, its association to Johnny Poe and this great story made it of interest to us. 

*Johnny Poe, one of six brothers who played football for Princeton (see related posts on Johnny Poe and his brothers in this blog, including Jan 22, 2023, Dec 25, 2020, Dec 31, 2020, Mar 23, 2014, Feb 13,2014) ).

Princeton Loving Cup C.1877 / James A. Campbell

 

Princeton loving cup, of porcelain, c. 1877, having belonged to James A. Campbell, '77, whose initials are finely decorated in gold on one side (JAC), the Princeton shield on another, and Princeton, the Princeton shield and Tiger and ’77 on the other. This very rare example is a diminutive 2 ¾” in height, is highly detailed and has a far more impressive presence than its dimensions would suggest.

Campbell was the class president of '77 all of his four years at Princeton, and remained so for a half century beyond.  Campbell Hall on the Princeton campus was built and named for him while he was still living. Nearly all of the funds for the dormitory were raised in one hour at the class of '77s thirtieth reunion. Two years later, Campbell Hall was completed and occupied. Campbell was the President of the Princeton Athletic Association, 1876 – 1877, Treasurer of the Princeton Athletic Club, 1875 – 1876, played first base on the Princeton University Baseball Club, 1874 – 1875, rowed freshman crew at the number three position, 1874 and 1875, rowed for the University crew at the number 2 position, 1876, and substituted on the University Twenty Football Team 1876 – 1877.

1894 Boston Athletic Association Football Team Photo

 

                                            Note the unicorn emblem on the vest

A larger (11” x 17”) and very rare albumin cabinet photo of the 1894 Boston Athletic Association (BAA) (year and team identified on the ball). In addition, note the unicorn patches worn by players in the photo, the unicorn being the symbol of the BAA (also recognized as the symbol of the Boston Marathon, run under the auspices of the BAA, first run in 1897, 3 years after this photo was taken).

On the reverse, the Boston photographer Chickering is identified as well as a notation that this photo belonged to “McLoon” (right end for the BAA).

We had never come across or seen a BAA photo previously, so this was a very nice find for us (one of the few pickups from Brimfield yesterday).

The Boston Athletic Association had a good number of games scheduled in 1894, including those against major powers such as Harvard, Yale, and Brown, as well as games with the New York Athletic Club, the Columbia Athletic Club, Amherst, Bowdoin, Phillips Andover, the Chicago Athletic Association, and the Crescent Athletic Club.

Most of the BAA team was comprised of Harvard men, and when the BAA played against Yale, the game was “fierce” with notable injuries (The Evening Bulletin, October 25, 1894). This game, a harbinger to the violent “Bloodbath at Hampden Park", the Harvard – Yale game a month away.

The playing roster for the 1894 BAA team:

McLoon  RE

Erickson, Ward  LT, RT

Waters  LT

Carpenter  C

J. Fay  LG

Gallagher  LT

Whittren  LE

Clarkson  QB

Anthony  RHB

Burns, Garcelon  RHB, LHB

Dearborn  HB

Hoag  FB

                                                                Joseph Story Fay 3rd

Of great interest to Jacob and I, in addition to the photo’s rarity and subject matter is that one of the sitters in the photo is Joseph Story Fay 3^rd, Harvard class of ’94 (back row, second from the left). It was Fay’s father, Joseph Story Fay Jr. who rowed varsity for Harvard in 1869, beating Yale on Lake Quinsigamond at Worcester. Following this win, Fay immediately sailed for England to join teammates and row against Oxford in the “Great International Boat Race”, one of the most significant and earliest international sporting events up to that time (estimated attendance exceeding half a million people).

Fay’s trophy oar from the 1869 Harvard – Yale contest is one of the most prized items in our collection and possibly the subject of a future post. To now have this BAA photo along with the oar, so that father son are represented hanging on the same wall adds to the story of both and makes collecting all the more interesting.

Adams Academy Albumin Photo c. 1879

 Adams Academy was akin to Exeter and Andover, playing against many of the same teams. Adams was a feeder school for Harvard. A trip to the Quincy Historical Society (Quincy, Mass.) may yield the exact date and possible identities of the sitters. The society has many of the Adams records, inclusive of older sporting photos. The academy opened in 1872 and ceased operation in 1908.

Adams played the Boston Game early on and by 1876 appears to be playing the American Rugby Game, and the American Collegiate Game by 1882.

Late 1870s or early 1880s photo; albumin measures 15 1/4 x 10 15/16. The photo is framed, so please excuse the glare from the glass.

Illinois Homecoming Pinbacks And Associated Pieces 1910 - 1940

 

Jacob started collecting Illinois Homecoming pinbacks some years ago as they are the most intriguing, attractive, and collectable of all early football pinbacks. He decided to go with early pins, stopping at 1940.

Below is a list of homecoming pins and a few other items that represent the years 1910 (the year of their first true Homecoming) through 1940.

1910 Homecoming Beanie (the pin and beanie are both exceedingly rare, and we chose to add the beanie to the collection to cover the 1910 homecoming). See blog entry dated January 9, 2015.

1911 Homecoming pass (we do not believe there is a 1911 pinback)

1912-1913 pinback

1913-1914 pinback (possibly the rarest, as we have seen only one in eighteen years)

1914-1915 pinback

1915-1916 pinback

1916-1917 pinback

1917 pinback

1919 pinback

1921-1929 pinbacks (including the 1929 Army v. Illinois)

Various Stadium Builder or Stadium pinbacks from the 1920s

1930-1940 pinbacks (including both the yellow and orange variations of the 1940 pinback)

Remarkable Signed Poe Brothers Cabinet Photo c.1905

 Six brothers from the Poe family of Baltimore, all who played football for the Princeton Tigers, several earning All-American recognition.

We have a fairly large collection of early football photographs and this is arguably the most significant. The fact that this photo is also signed by each of the brothers makes it all the more important. This was our 'Grail' piece.

From left to right in the photo are Arthur Poe, class of 1900 (his run in 1898 and field goal in 1899 won the games against Yale)(two time All-American), S. Johnson, class of 1884 (All-American in Lacrosse), Neilson, class of 1897, Edgar Allen, class of 1891 (All-American in 1889), Gresham, class of 1902 (excelled in hockey) and John Prentiss Poe Jr, class of 1895, killed in WWl.

Information on the Poes, that we won't repeat in this post, appear elsewhere in this blog, including entries dated February 13, 2014, March 23, 2014, June 25, 2014, October 17, 2017, December 25, 2020, December 31, 2020,and December 18, 2021.

Photo measures 10 3/4 x 12 7/8, mat 13 3/4 x 16 3/4