Shaking Hands… and Sportsmanship
Before our recent election, I posted about the American National Bird debate of the 1770’s:
– – – Some voted for the Eagle… others for the Turkey.
A few weeks ago, Americans repeated the ritual.
Again, voters can decide for themselves which bird best represents which party.
But I like the above postcard from over 100 years ago (postmarked Nov. 24, 1909) where the Turkey and the Eagle decide to be good sports and to shake “hands” on Thanksgiving.
(Or are they tangling with extended claws and talons?)
Most would agree that it was a great moment for Democracy after the election when our outgoing and incoming leaders shook hands in the White House.
For a moment, claws and talons were not to be seen.
Now, as Thanksgiving and Black Friday are only a minute away, we can all be good sports and leave a bit of the politics behind us.
We can now move on in unity towards what really counts:
Harvest-Time Gratitude, Football… and Holiday Shopping.
The above 1910 Uncle Sam post card celebrates the convergence of patriotism, Football, and Thanksgiving.
With the caption, “World’s 20th Century Champion,” this card reflects American confidence and optimism after the Spanish-American War; it also testifies to the importance of Thanksgiving Football as an All-American ritual.
Baseball may have eventually won as our National Sport, but it’s hard to imagine any higher testimony to the place of football in our national values than this image of Uncle Sam in a gridiron uniform.
Baseball cards may get the most press, but a handful of 19th Century Football cards do exist.
One of the most historically important of the early football sports cards is this 1890’s die-cut (click on the image to view the listing) from the Steve Rotman Collection:
Of special interest is the text on the back of this A.G. Spalding 19th Century Football Card is the text by Walter Camp, which includes reference to the early university rivals of Harvard and Yale.
Walter Camp was an American college football player and coach, as well as a celebrity sports writer. He is known as the “Father of American Football.”
Among a long list of inventions, Camp created the sport’s line of scrimmage and the system of downs.
The games you watch after you finish your bird this Thursday would not be the same were it not for Walter Camp.
But, soon enough, Thanksgiving and all the football games of the day will be over.
And then “Black Friday” will be upon us… followed by an entire season of exuberant holiday shopping.
This will also be the season when more of the fabulous cards from the legendary Steve Rotman Collection will appear on ebay… as well as some of the controversial cards which will only appear on the pages of this web site.
More about that in my next post.
But for now, just in time for Black Friday, let’s close with this classic postcard image capturing the cozy connections between freedom, prosperity, and the joys of holiday toy shopping.
