Harvard vs. Tufts Football Stereoview October 1875

                               The Harvard - Tufts game of October 27, 1875 in progress

                                                        Close up of the game

Postponed twice, on both October 16^th and again on October 26th, the second match of the year between Harvard and Tufts was played on Wednesday, October 27. The College Elevens met at College Hill in Medford (the first match having been played on Jarvis Field at Harvard in June, won by Tufts) late on a very windy fall day, the game starting at 3:30. The game consisted of three thirty minute periods; however the game ended early due to darkness in the last half hour.

The Crimson were dressed in dark trousers and white shirts, the Tufts men dressed in their “broad-striped” long sleeved jerseys and white trousers. This stereoview is the companion view to the Tufts team stereoview in our blog entry dated March 23, 2014. This match was played in the rugby-style football manner as was their earlier match, therefore this game was only the second rugby-style football game played between American colleges, the June match being the first. Harvard won this match, despite notable disputes, by a score of one goal to nothing. The Springfield Republican reported "the wind and a "false call" gave the Harvards the game, it was admitted on both sides that the Tufts boys did the best playing".

In 1875 Harvard played four games, two against Tufts, one against All-Canada and one against Yale. Tufts played only the two games against Harvard in 1875. Apparently their win in June against Harvard dissuaded teams from playing against them and was the reason the Boston YMCA forfeited their scheduled game.

Playing for Harvard:  Faucon, ’75, Hall, ’76, Seamans, Herrick, Cushing , Cate, Curtis, Keys, ’77, Wetherbee, Lombard, ’78 and Blanchard, ’79.

Playing for Tufts:  Aldrich (Captain), Headle, Dwinnell, Fletcher, Eddy, ’76, Whithead, Harrington, Branch, ’77, Campbell, ’78, Perry, Fuller, ’79.

This is a significant and historic photograph. Football photographs from this period are scarce and this stereoview is an incredibly rare example. This is the earliest photo of a game in progress known to our hobby.