Living Color

With so much of the Packers' early history preserved only in black and white photos, it's a pleasant change to see a color image, even if we have to make one ourselves.

This image was colorized by Phil Hecken, who writes the weekend columns for the Uni Watch blog (and who has assumed the day-to-day duties while Paul is on his August sabbatical).

Phil uses the freeware GIMP (Graphic Image Manipulating Program)to colorize old black and white photos.

The choice of red for the defender was interesting. He explains:

i have NO IDEA if the colors of the opposition are correct — just an educated guess after having worked with b & w for a little while now…

Looked to me as though it could have been the Cardinals, but two readers suggested the Lions, and sure enough, after a little digging I learned that the photo was taken at a 1945 game in Milwaukee against... Detroit. A game the Packers won 57-21.

Another reminder that even veteran photo editors can be fooled by black and white photos. When reduced to shades of gray, reds appear blue and vice versa. Phil promises to re-do the picture in Honolulu Blue soon, and while he's at it give us a tutorial on his process.

More to come.

Pitchers and Catchers Report?

This training camp screenshot comes from the collection of Robert Harvell, auction director at GUU Auctions.

"That's from the Packers' training camp, circa early '60s. Apparently typical football pads weren't enough for the hard-hitting packers — they had to resort to catcher’s gear as well! I'm not sure if those are special leg pads or simply two more chest protectors wrapped around each leg."

Anybody seen anything like that before?

I always love seeing Lombardi in that interlocking "GB" cap.

UPDATED: "Mr. Lambeau" at the incredible PACKERVILLE, U.S.A blog took this screencap from HBO's new Lombardi documentary, giving us a look at the pads in color:


(h/t: Robert Harvell, UniWatch, PACKERVILLE, U.S.A.)

Silver Anniversary, Green Pennant

Although the Packers wore blue uniforms throughout most of Curly Lambeau's tenure, much of the (admittedly rare) merchandise produced during that time was emblazoned with the green and gold which has since come to define the team.

Consider this pennant from the 1944 season:


Blue and gold uniforms, but a green and gold commemorative pennant. It's true that there wasn't as much of a direct focus on team colors as there is today, but even so.

The Packers would continue to list "blue" as an official team color well into the 1960s, perhaps because they were still wearing the old blue sideline capes.