The image above displayed in the LBJ Library states “This mask was used from the 1890’s thru the 1920’s”
The LBJ Library is a political and cultural bridge to the 1960s. A decade that was painful for Americans to experience but necessary to confront. Unfortunately, the same conflicts that plagued our country in the 1960s are still unresolved in 2020. Civil rights, societal engineering, international discord, political rancor, abortion, protest, gender equality, jobs, and the economy are still current conflicts.
But I digress; I visited the LBJ Library looking for text or photos to add to the TLSN history of Longhorn sports website. I was not disappointed.
It took me at least 30 seconds to assimilate the image’s import, but staring back at me on a wall was a photo of a football game played in 1896. The football players wore a device to protect their mouth and nose, and what appeared to be helmets. As an amateur Longhorn sports historian, this photo is significant.
History explains the allusion of a helmet depicted in the photo. During this era, the players grew their hair longer then wrapped bandages around their heads and over the tops of ears (to prevent ears from being pulled and torn). This process pushed the hair up into a mop adding sufficient cushioning to prevent severe injuries.” (see photo below).
But what about the mouth and nose protector? If players in 1896 were smart enough to protect their nose and mouth, why did the players from 1930 through the early 1950s refuse to use them? There must be a logical and easy answer, but I don’t know it.
Maybe a professional sports historian knows the answer. If so, I hope they will share it with the readers of this site, so there is a resolution to the Facemask enigma.
For more information on helmets, jerseys, and shoes visit
https://texas-lsn.squarespace.com/helmets-jerseys-shoes-and-more
