With the NFL playoffs underway, millions of fans will crowd around their television sets, eat buffalo wings, and cheer for (or against) the remaining Super Bowl contenders. Yet football has played an important part in American culture far beyond the National Football League. Photographs at the National Archives reflect the pervasiveness of football in United States history, ranging from overseas army bases to Japanese internment camps, and from local towns to large cities. The following images represent some of the Still Photo Branch’s most popular series.
Photos from the U.S. Army Signal Corps:
Original Caption: The Southwestern Command, Japan Logistical Command, football season gets underway with Pvt. Cecile Brothers of Hocombe, Missouri, a member of the Camp Saki WAC Detachment, 279th General Hospital, Southwestern Command, JLC, flipping the coin to see who kicks off. Left to right: A/3 Class Eddie Beasley, Sgt. Joe Compton, Atami Air Base, Pvt. Brothers, Sgt Jenkins Beard, Camp Otsu; and Cpl Jim Brogan, Camp Otsu. September 13, 1952. Local ID: 111-SC-406996
Original Caption: Football training has begun at constabulary headquarters at Bamberg, Germany. Practicing blocking are, Left to Right, Pfc, Bernard Clark of Sleepeye, Minn., and Pfc. Dang Davison of Downer’s Grove, Ill. Coach Sandy Clark, wearing a white shirt, looks on from the rear left. August 20, 1946. Local ID: 111-SC-253147
Original Caption: Officers and enlisted men of the 2nd Inf. Div., 1st U.S. Army, watch the board giving them the play-by-play description of the Army-Navy football game at their headquarters in Vith, Belgium. December 2, 1944. Local ID: 111-SC-197341
Original Caption: Military personnel with some of the members of the Chicago Bears Football team. In the group are George Blande, Cpl Jo Ruff, Cpl Sonia Schmit, Harry Jagade, fullback of the Bears; Larry Brink, and Pfc John Carbon, August 4, 1954. Local ID: 111-SC-464065
Original Caption: Four of Navy’s mudstained stars pose after the Army and Navy football game on the Fourth of July at Rizal Stadium, Manila, P.I. Left to Right: Geyer, Bloomfield, New Jersey; Hall, Chicago, Illinois; Horjes, Tacoma, Washington; Youngberg, Woodstock, Illinois. July 4, 1945. Local ID: 111-SC-332932
Photos from the War Relocation Authority:
Original Caption: Rohwer Relocation Center, McGehee, Arkansas. Part of a crowd of evacuees watching a football game between the Stockton and Santa Anita teams. Local ID: 210-G-E299
Original Caption: Heart Mountain Relocation Center, Heart Mountain, Wyoming. An exciting bit of aciton between the “All Stars” and “Jack Rabbits” football teams, during a game at the Heart Mountain Relocation Center. At the moment it is difficult to say who has the ball. Local ID: 210-G-G211
Original Caption: Granada Relocation Center, Amache, Colorado. Grade school boys playing touch football during the recess play period. Local ID: 210-G-E549
Original Caption: Granada Relocation Center, Amache, Colorado. Young center Niseis are football enthusiasts. Here during lunch hour, employees in administrative offices choose up sides and have a rousing half hour of touch. Local ID: 210-G-E541
Photos from the United States Information Agency (USIA):
Original Caption: Negro and white football players at McKinley Technical High School. Local ID: 306-PS-515-S-54-16145
Original Caption: A group of boys receiving instructions on the proper way to hold a football for kicking. Local ID: 306-PS-515-S-52-8265
Original Caption: View of crowd at football game, Michigan State College vs Maryland at East Lansing, October 1950. Local ID: 306-PS-515-S-50-15032
Original Caption: The family life of a truck driver is similar to other workers. Mr. Earl L. Marcey of Arlington, Virginia takes time to play football with his three sons, September, 1948. Local ID: 306-PS-514-S-48-620
Original Caption: Friar’s Point, Mississippi. Substitutes on the Gunnison High School football team, watch their team play another local high school team, October 1947. Local ID: 306-PS-515-S-50-10364
Original Caption: MSC Story. View of football crowd and players on bench during game. Local ID: 306-PS-514-S-50-12347
Original Caption: MSC Story. Football crowd eats hot dogs on a chill day. Local ID: 306-PS-515-S-50-12349
Photos from DOCUMERICA: The Environmental Protection Agency’s Program to Photographically Document Subjects of Environmental Concern:
Spring football game at the University of Nebraska. May 1973. Local ID: 412-DA-4827
Spring football game at the University of Nebraska, May 1973. Local ID: 412-DA-4947.
Rifle Versus Aspen High School Football Game. Spectators watch from the sidelines and from their cars. October 1972. Local ID: 412-DA-10144
Rifle Versus Aspen High School Football Game. Spectators watch from the sidelines and from their cars. October 1972. Local ID: 412-DA-10145
Football player from Cathedral Senior High School in New Ulm, Minnesota, suits up for a game at Johnson Park, October 1974. Local ID: 412-DA-15754
Pregame discussion by the coach for Cathedral Senior High School football players prior to a game at Johnson Park in New Ulm Minnesota., October 1974. Local ID: 412-DA-15754
The photos above are available in the National Archives Catalog. Follow the Unwritten Record for more highlights from our special media holdings.
LOVE these photos! Thank you for sharing!
Looking cool.