Rare Canvas Football Jacket c.1890s - 1900

The pictured jacket, sometimes referred to as a vest or smock, was a staple of the football uniform from the late 1870s up until the turn of the 1900s.

Initially developed by a Princeton football player, Ledru Smock in 1877, the jacket was intended to make grabbing one’s opponents more difficult.  

Such jackets have become exceedingly rare and are highly collectable. 

See related blog posts dated August  5, 2019 and May 21, 2024