The Dirge Handbill / 1860 / Edward Hartwell Kidder

 

Original handbill, with the printed "Dirge", carried by Edward Hartwell Kidder (superimposed on the hand-bill in this post), Harvard class of 1863, sung by him and those in attendance on Monday September 3rd, 1860 when the sophomore class buried a football on the Delta (where Memorial Hall now sits) as a protest to the cessation of the "Bloody Monday" football contests between sophomores and freshman. Despite many reports and publications, only the Monday game was abolished (traditionally played on the first Monday of the college year) and not football as played normally.

This handbill is an absolute rarity, as only two are known to exist, both emanating from the Kidder estate (the other selling at auction in 2017). It remains in wonderful original condition with a distinct fold line down the vertical center. This happens to be one of my top twenty favorite pieces from our collection. I've always thought it was a great piece; historically significant, quite early in the scheme of American football, and one of the more interesting stories from 19th century sports. The H Book of Harvard Athletics devotes at least eight pages to this burial event. The  news article below sums up the circumstances around the burial and the specifics of "The Dirge" - it makes for a fun and informative read.

                                                     Edward Hartwell Kidder at Harvard

                                 Edward Hartwell Kidder while at Kidder Peabody

                                                A full album page with the Kidder photos

 All photos of Edward Hartwell Kidder in this post are from the book, Frozen in Time, which discusses the author's great great grandmother's photo album from the 1860s. Frozen in Time An Early Carte de Visite Album from New Bedford, Massachusetts, Susan Snow Lukesh, 2021 (figures 12c and 12d, discussion on page 57) . Dr. Lukesh sent me high definition photos and graciously allowed me to use them in this blog posting.

Francis Douglas Cochrane / Harvard Trophy Mug 1898

 

                                                        Photo - glass bottom of mug

Pewter trophy championship mug with the class of ’99 baseball team photograph taken in 1898, developed on the glass bottom, awarded to F.D. Cochrane for his part in the Harvard class of ’99 winning the “Base Ball Championship,  1898”.  The class team won 3 games and lost none to win the championship, Cochrane being the team’s pitcher. Cochrane appears in the photo at the top left, holding the baseball. Cochrane had also been a member of his class Football Team his freshman year. The trophy is in outstanding condition, the photo-glass bottom being clear and fully intact. These trophies are quite rare. Trophy mug is 9” in height. One of only two other examples I know of is pictured in “Antique Sports Uniforms & Equipment” by Hauser, Turner and Gennantonio, page 13, also a Harvard class of ’99 championship trophy mug.

Francis Cochrane was better known to us as a member of the varsity Football Eleven, playing in 1897 and 1898, at left end and also performing many of the kicking duties. Records show that he was a substitute quarterback in 1896 and 1897, which we were unaware of. In 1898 Cochrane was a Camp Second-Team All-American as well as an Outing First-Team All-American.

Interestingly, Cochrane had gone out for a position on the Varsity Nine, as catcher, but apparently did not get the nod.

Former football players often went back to assist the present day coaches. In 1901 and 1902 there are numerous records of Cochrane doing just that, frequently helping  coach the University and Second Elevens. He was one of a number of past players assuming these duties and did so alongside recognizable names including J. Dunlop (Anonymous), P.D. Haughton, B.G. Waters, E.N. Wrightington B.H. Dibble and W.H. Lewis.