Bee Hive Helmet

[Turbine]

As some of you know, I have been compiling the complete 103 year history (counting 2003) of football helmets at the University of Louisiana.

I need your opinion on whether or not you think this is an upside down helmet (with the ear flaps open) in the players lap. The picture is from 1901

[Zeebart21]

Turbine, did they wear helmets in 1901??

That's a hard call to make. It looks like he's holding a baby..

Z.

[Turbine]

Originally posted by Zeebart21
Turbine, did they wear helmets in 1901??

Yes this is a picture from the same team photo. and the player is holding/squeezing a beehive helmet for the era.

[Turbine]

This is from the 1902 team photo, and if you can get past the ears, the other player is holding a beehive helmet also.

[Turbine]

This is a era beehive.

Everything I can find says that the true dog ears appeared around 1903-04.

But in the first picture it sure looks like it could be a helmet turned upside down.

[Cajun1997]

Hard to tell but it looks like a helmet to me.

[CajunCall]

The one in his lap is a helmet but it doesn't look like the beehive. It looks like it has ear flaps and a back flap. How many helmet companies could there have been back then? I see two different kinds.

[NOCajun]

...but I can't see where that player's holding ANYTHING in that first photo. :confused:

[WebWatchDog]

Originally posted by NOCajun
...but I can't see where that player's holding ANYTHING in that first photo. :confused:

What I see is his right hand holding what looks like the tattered edges of a box of Popeyes Fried Chicken. A helmet made for a square head. The only player I ever saw with a head that square was former Saints player Danny Wonderful. You know if they still made helmets with a square opening his helmet would never hae turned completely around on him. That was the funniest thing I ever saw.

[Turner]

If someone can show me how the inside of a helmet can be square then it is a helmet. to me it looks like the picture has a hole in it and the edges of the hole are rolled up.

[1stTake]

I meant to post this a long time ago but I couldn't find the thread. It looks to me like the inside of a wool lined winter hat. From what I have heard there were no hard helmets back then, this could have been used for a helmet.