OT - Old Football Cabinet Photo Help

[cguidi]

I know it isn't baseball but you all are such amazing investigators I figured it couldn't hurt to ask... please let me know if this needs to be redirected to a different part of the forum. I found this old football player cabinet photo and was wondering if anyone out there can help me identify the uniform/team/date/player or point me towards a resource to that end. And what is hanging from his belt?!

[scooter729]

You may want to try searching for Brown University uniform styles from the 1890s and 1900s. I just did a real quick search and came up empty, but the Providence photographer would make me think that.

And hanging from the belt looks like an early style nose protector.

Cool cabinet!

[pgellis]

It is a football nose guard that is hanging from his belt. There was an elastic strap that would wrap around the head and this piece would protect the players nose. It was held in place by biting down on a small piece at the base of the guard. You would hold it in place by biting down on it. The problem with that was that when you got hit in the nose and you were biting down on the guard, your teeth would go flying out.

[PolarBear]

Providence did have a pro team from 1925-1931 called the Steam Roller, and they won the NFL Championship in 1928. Their team goes back to 1916 however, pre NFL.

Interestingly, the Shepherd Company was the largest departments store in New England.

I'm guessing they must have also had a photography department in the store.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shepard_Company_Building

[cguidi]

Thanks so much for the info on the nose guard... makes a lot more sense than a rubber ducky I was thinking maybe Brown University or the University of Rhode Island Rams... Here is a pic of one of the Brown University uniform from around the turn of the century.