Item #18241 Silver Gelatin Photo of Integrated Football Team, 1950s. Football African American.
Silver Gelatin Photo of Integrated Football Team, 1950s

Silver Gelatin Photo of Integrated Football Team, 1950s

African American , Football

Original Photo

Silver gelatin photo of integrated men's football team with African American coach and players. 1950s. Photo measures 10 x 8 inches. 38 subjects including 10 African American players.and 4 coaches, one of them African American standing in the front of the group, the other coaches stand in the back row. The men pose in front of a brick building, their plastic helmets perched on the low wall in front of them, leather ball balancing between them. Regulation helmets were leather until 1949 when plastic headgear was instituted, providing better protection for players of the high-impact sport known for its head injuries. The men stand shoulder to shoulder, their expressions clear and readable. They appear to be college-aged. In 1931, after 31 years of limited integration, the NFL banned African American players from participation, hobbling the sport for over a decade. The league reintegrated in 1946, college teams following suit a year later, with African American players making an immediate impact. Their contributions have continued despite complex racial dynamics within an institution frequently criticized for its continued plantation mentality. This photo taken in the years just after reintegration captures a range of expressions and postures, suggesting tensions and alliances both. In very good condition.

Item #18241

Price: $485.00