Custom "World Champions" Plaques

This weekend, I received an amazing email from reader Trevor Whitlock, who created a project you'll have to see to believe.

Long time reader of your blog and figured I'd share one of my homemade packer creations during this packers down time.

I've got a small section of my basement dedicated to Packers stuff. Among the pieces, i have plaques for the 1996 team, the 2010 team and a team of the 60s plaque. For years I've been hoping the packers or the NFL would honor/acknowledge the first 6 championships so all of them could be represented on my wall. Earlier this year, i stopped waiting and took it upon myself.

I searched the internet to find the highest resolution photo I could of each team, identified the players and created a design for two plaques (3 teams on each). I tried to be as historically accurate as possible (ex. reconstructing the graphic of the 1945 media guide cover for the second plaque). I then had the images printed on metallic paper and adhered them to some basic black plaques that I had re-purposed. The result, I feel, is a great tribute to those teams and really blends in with the style of the Healey plaques of the 90s.

Here's the photos he sent me:

Absolutely stunning. Here they are in context, hung with the commercially-available plaques honoring the 1960s teams:

Nailed it. The effect is perfect.

A real labor of love; you can see how much work he put into them.

This is an amazing project. I share Trevor's frustration with the NFL's ongoing pre-Super Bowl myopia, and admire his determination to make these himself. They are indeed a fitting tribute to those teams. Bravo, sir.

Video - 1936 Championship Game Highlights

Tomorrow, the Packers will be in suburban Washington for the first round of the NFL playoffs. Although the two teams have collectively played 180 seasons in the NFL, and account for a combined eighteen world championships, this is only the third time the teams have met in the postseason.

The first time was in 1936, when the other team was still in Boston and our Packers were in their second year of experimenting with green and gold uniforms.

The game was the 1936 Championship game, the fourth in league history (until 1933, titles were awarded by records) It was played at the Polo Grounds in New York City, the first title game to be contested on a neutral field.

The Bostonians were the host team, but had struggled for support in their home city. Team owner George Preston Marshall chose not to play in their regular Fenway Park, but New York.

The Packers dominated the game 21-6 to claim their fourth World Championship, the first to come via championship game.



Just a few days after the loss, Marshall announced that he was moving his club to Washington, DC, where they reside today. Let's hope the Packers can bring a little of their 1936 magic to Landover today.

48 Seconds of the 1936 Championship Game

Some amazing silent footage on YouTube:

December 13, 1936: Teams run onto Polo Grounds Field. Toss of coin. Packers throw back Boston team on kickoff play. Packer's Arnie Herber passes to Don Hutson for TD. Boston's star Cliff Battles leaves game with serious leg injury. Herber passes 52 yards to Johnny Blood McNally to eight yard line. Herber passes to Milt Gantenbein for TD and 14-6 lead.

Amazing catch by Hutson there.

The Packers scored first, and Boston came back to almost tie in, but in the second half the Bays pulled away and cruised to their fourth World Championship.

	1	2	3	4	Total
Green Bay Packers	7	0	7	7	21
Boston Redskins	0	6	0	0	6

Good as Gold

This beautiful photo, originally published in the photo section of the Milwaukee Journal on October 12, 1930, now hangs in a mens' room in the Wisconsin Club in Milwaukee.

The caption gives us a little context:

The Green Bay Packers
Champions of the National Professional Football League
FOR 1929

PRO FOOTBALL IN GREEN BAY dates from the time when the Acme Packing Co. put a team in the field just after the World War. For several years the team has been supported by the Green Bay Football corporation but the name Packers has remained—a name which all Wisconsin honors, a name which means top notch football in the National Professional Football League.

Front row, left to right; Woodin, Radick, Fitzgibbon, Zuidmulder, Bloodgood, Perry and Zuver. Middle row, left to right: Lambeau, Herber, Michalske, McCrary, O'Donnell, Lewellyn, Blood, Molenda, Dunn and Lidvig. Standing, left to right: Hanny, Sleight, Nash, Hubbard, Dilweg, Engelmann, Bowdoin, Darling, Earpe and Kresge. (Journal Color Photo)

Although the caption mentions the 1929 Championship, this is a photo of the 1930 club. Elbert Bloodgood, Merle Zuver, and Frank Hanny played only one season in Green Bay.

"Lidvig" is actually running back Carl Lidberg. I don't know who "Kresge" is; nobody by that name appears on the Packers' all-time roster.

The Packers would, of course, go on to win a second consecutive World Championship in 1930 and then a third after that; a feat which has only been equaled once since, by the Packers of 1965, 1966, and 1967.

I love the little pennant graphic filling out the space below the caption.

"The GBP". Very collegiate.

This is a beautiful ph

"Champions of Them All"

Heritage Auctions

This amazing team photo comes from Heritage Auctions. They have a pair of championship banquet programs to be auctioned off next month, and this is the preview of the first.

The Packers had held a championship banquet for the Packers following every title won to this point, starting in 1929. This, the fifth World Championship, was no exception.

The Packers had been strong all season, finishing 9-2. The only team with a better record was the Eastern Division champion New York Giants at 9-1-1. On December 10, 1939, the two teams faced off at Wisconsin State Fair Park in the Championship Game. You might have expected two such dominant teams to play an even game, but when they took the field the Packers dismantled the visiting New Yorkers, 27-0.

Four days and 120 miles later, two thousand fans packed the Columbus Community Club building on South Jefferson Street in downtown Green Bay. Among the revelers was Wisconsin governor Julius P. Heil, "perhaps as real, honest to goodness sports fan as ever sat in the governor's chair".

In the words of the Milwaukee Sentinel, the room was

"jarred to the rafters with the flood of adjectives as speaker on speaker lauded the Bays for their marvelous performance all season and for the "greatest football display in the game's history" last Sunday. The Packers, themselves, took the adjectives like blushing school girls, but actually beamed with and more than one made a passing remark: "Gee, boys, this Green Bay town is the place to play your pro football."

The venue itself had a long history with the Packers; the Columbus Club building opened in 1925 as a recreational and social center, and immediately began playing an important role in Packer history.

Columbus Club Building circa 1930

There is a Packers Heritage Trail plaque on the building, listing some of that history:

In the 1920s, before radio broadcasts of Packer games, large crowds gathered on Sunday afternoons when the team was playing on the road. A play-by-play was transmitted by telegraph wire from the site of the game, and the results were posted here on a large board built in the shape of a football field.

From 1927 until the mid-1930s, the Packers used the top floor as a clubhouse. For five years, starting in 1930, their ticket office was located here, as well.

The building also was the site of championship celebrations and rousing public rallies that helped save the franchise. Banquets were held in the first-floor auditorium after the Packers won NFL titles in 1936 and 1939. On April 11, 1950, more than 1,500 fans filled the auditorium to kick off the Packers' third stock drive. And on March 31, 1956, more than 1,000 fans attended a rally in support of building what is now Lambeau Field. George Halas and Curly Lambeau were among the speakers. Three days later, the city-wide referendum passed in a landslide.

This also was where the Vince Lombardi Show was taped by WBAY-TV.

The building is now studios for WBAY, the ABC affiliate in Green Bay.

Google Maps

Columbus Club Building in 2012

Let's take a closer look at that team photo. Curly Lambeau is in the front row, far left, and on the far right of the second row we can see assistant coach Red Smith. Smith spent his offseasons as a catcher, coach, and eventually general manager for the Milwaukee Brewers, and in the early 1940s managed the Brews' farm team in Green Bay.

This is Lambeau's classic blue and gold uniform, introduced in 1937 and emblematic of the franchise through the 1949 season. Their socks still had stripes in 1939, although those would only last for a few years.

You can also see that the players are wearing at least two different number styles; undoubtedly the result of old uniforms being carried over (we would see this happen into the Lombardi era as well).

Some of the players are wearing "4"s with a "foot" on the bottom of the vertical line, and some are a fully sans-serif version.

For what it's worth, the photos I've seen of the Packers' white alternate jerseys from that season featured the sans-serif font.

The numbers on Hutson's jersey don't match any I've ever seen before on a navy jersey, and in any case by 1943 he would be wearing the "footed" 4.

What an amazing piece of Packers history this banquet program is. It's going to make some lucky collector very, very happy.

See the New Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame

Packers.com

This morning, the revamped Packers Hall of Fame opened to the public, and we're seeing some great views of what's in store for visitors to Lambeau Field.

The new museum displays are very impressive.

Packers.com

Gone are the old plaques; each inductee is now represented by a sculpture of a football.

Packers.com

It's a stunning representation, even more impressive close up. Each football is engraved with the inductee's name, picture, years with the team and year of induction.

Packers.com

Jeff Ash of the Green Bay Press-Gazette has suggested that these football sculptures would make excellent souvenirs if the Hall of Fame should ever sell them.

Packers.com

I think he's on to something there.

The reminds me a little of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, which ditched its plaques about ten years ago in favor of staggered rows of busts. Using footballs, however, emphasizes the team nature of the game. From a distance, it's all a unified whole. Only when you get close can you see the individuals comprising the team.

Of course, there's a lot for uniform fans to like. This is the new locker room section:

Packers.com

How could they get these reproductions so right and yet the new 2015 on-field alternate uniforms so wrong?

Of course, it's not all reproductions. The authentic Don Hutson jersey is still on display:

© Jeff Ash, used with permission

I think my favorite area has to be this overhead display of Packers uniforms, arranged in a chronological timeline:

© Jeff Ash, used with permission

As you move from right to left, the figures appear to be throwing a pass, and you advance through the highlights of the team's uniform history from the earliest days to modern times:

© Jeff Ash, used with permission

I'm a little jealous; the effect is one I was planning to use for a lithograph to celebrate the team's Centennial in a couple years.

© Jeff Ash, used with permission

There are two items of note I see in this tableau, which we'll address in separate posts.

Overall, the new Hall looks outstanding. Can't wait for my next trip to Lambeau Field.

1937 Game Action

This photo was taken at the Polo Grounds in upper Manhattan on November 21, 1937, as the Packers took on the New York Football Giants.

This was before road jerseys became mandatory, so the Packers wore their new navy jerseys with gold yokes. The Giants rotated between red and royal blue jerseys that season, so it's possible that this might not have been a blue-on-blue matchup.

I love the official's uniform, with its flat cap and very blousy knickers. We can also see his stirrups clearly enough to notice that he's wearing the right one backwards (big hole goes in the back).

They might have looked good, but the Packers lost that day, 10-0.

1934 Wadham's team photo

Well, the Packers have started their off-season a little early again. At least we can comfort ourselves by wallowing in the team's rich and glorious history.

This 1934 photo seems as a good place as any to start.

Back row:—Coach Lambeau, Jorgenson, Bultman, Kurth, Dilweg, Rose, Seibold, Peterson, Jones, Norgard, Asst. Coach Earpe.
Middle row:—Witte, Evans, Laws, Herber, Michalske, Goldenberg, Bruder, Schwammel, Perry.
Front row:—Monnett, Gantenbein, Barrager, Hinkle, Grove.

Beautiful team photo by Stiller, and I love the Art Deco numbers on each side.

The Packers are pictured in the plain blue jerseys they adopted in 1931; their first green jerseys were still four years in the future.

On the back, a schedule for the 1934 season and an ad for Wadham's Oil, a Milwaukee-based oil and gasoline company which at the time had over one hundred filling stations across Southeastern Wisconsin.

Wadham's sponsored "Sports Reports" on WTMJ in Milwaukee, covering news of the Packers and the American Association's Milwaukee Brewers baseball club.

1934 was not a great year for the Packers, who finished 7-6-0, third place behind the 13-0 Chicago Bears (who themselves went on to lose to the New York Giants in the second NFL Championship Game, now known as "The Sneakers Game". Scant consolation, I suspect, for fans of the Blues back in 1934.

Auction Gold: 1930 Packers-Bears Broadside

The current Heritage Auction has some amazing gems. We're going to be showcasing the best over the next week or so, starting with this marvelous 1930 broadside:

1930 Chicago Bears Vs. Green Bay Packers Broadside.  By consistently outplaying and outsmarting their opponent, the Green Bay Packers convincingly defeated Red Grange and his Chicago Bears, 7-0, in front of a City Stadium crowd on September 28, 1930. Offered here is an original broadside that promoted the big game, and it is one of only a few that survived the test of time. Affixed to a sturdy cardboard backing, and framed at 19.5x26", the ultra thin paper poster exhibits light paper loss and the proper folds throughout. An absolutely amazing artifact representing Curly Lambeau and the '30 championship Packers. Guide Value or Estimate: $2,000 - up.

Remarkable. Really wish I could chase that one myself.

Don Hutson's Packers Playdium

Press-Gazette Archives

Don Hutson assists an unidentified young woman at the Packer Playdium, February 7, 1942.

Until relatively recently, "football player" was not a year-round occupation. Even Packer legend Don Hutson, whose career as a player spanned from 1935 through 45 (and who continued to coach for three years after that), ran two well-known Green Bay businesses — an auto lot named, appropriately enough, Don Hutson Motors, and a bowling alley and bar named the Packers Playdium.

Hutson's partner in the Playdium was another Packer great, Charles "Buckets" Goldenberg, who joined the Packers in 1933 and wore the Blue and Gold (and sometimes Green) through the 1945 season. Together, the two men had enough star power in Green Bay to change the city's liquor ordinance; until 1942, alcoholic beverages could only be sold in premises located on street level. That would have left the ten lanes of the Playdium's second floor dry, so Hutson and Goldenberg convinced the city council to exempt hotels, clubs and "bowling alleys with not less than five alleys on the second floor." The two were aided by over 1,000 signatures supporting the change.

Glassware from the Playdium is prized by collectors. This particular glass is currently available from Titletown Nostalgia.


This linen postcard, postmarked 1949, gives us our best look at the interior of the Playdium.

You can see those distinctive swirls on the alley's walls in the photograph above.

I love the mural on the bar's wall, depicting a generic Packer surrounded by mascots of the other NFL clubs, including an Eagle, Lion and Cardinal:

Why not Hutson's #14?

The player depicted is wearing the Packers' 1935-36 uniform, with its distinctive gold raglan sleeves:

The reverse bears a photo of Hudson in his navy and gold mid-1940s Packer jersey. This particular card was sent to a customer as an appointment reminder.

Sherwood is over 30 miles from Green Bay; perhaps Mr. Runge was a Packer fan, or the Playdium was a particularly good place to bowl.

Arts and Letter(head)s, Part VI

Previously, I featured this correspondence on team letterhead from former team president Lee Joannes to staff members working on the Packers' third stock drive:

Wisconsin Historical Society

DEAR FELLOW WORKER:

     As you know I am layed up and haven't been able to get around as much as I would like to follow through on the Packer Drive, following the kick-off of our group at the Beaumont Hotel.

     You have undoubtedly seen the score board that we have on the Court House lawn, and, of course, we want to keep old No. 14 moving up. In order to do that it is necessary that you complete your pledges and turn them into the Packer Ticket Office.

     I sincerely hope that the "Special Commitee" will be able to complete its calls this week and have them all turned in so that when the general committee has their report meeting next Monday night we will be able to report that the Special Committee has completed their work. I would greatly appreciate hearing from you. If you have any problems you would like to discuss with me call my home De Pere 554.

Very truly yours,

Lee Joannes, Chairman
Packer Stock Drive

LJ:M.C.

At the time, I found it interesting that Joannes was using old stationary (as indicated by the "Five Times World's Champions" banner, placing this post-1939 and pre-1944). Recently, I've come across two more letters Joannes wrote during this period, and the story they tell together is an interesting one.

The first of the new letters is dated nearly one month earlier, a boilerplate invitation to a meeting about that same stock drive, then in its planning stages:

Wisconsin Historical Society

March 15, 1950

     I would appreciate very much if you would attend a little get-together dinner meeting of the businessmen of this community at 6:00 P. M., Wednesday, March 22nd, at the Beaumont Hotel.

     The purpose of this get-together is to explain to you fully the aims and purposes of the stock drive of the Packers. ALSO, to get some help and advice from you as to the most expedient way of handling the sale of Packer stock. The purpose of the meeting is not to sell Packer stock, but to get the feelings of the leaders of our community on this matter.

Sincerely yours,

Lee Johannes, Chairman
Packer Stock Drive

LJ:M.C.

P.S.:

Because the Packer organization is trying to cut corners in all ways in their "economy program" this will be a Dutch treat affair ------- okay?

This letterhead style was used by the team in the period immediately after the departure of founder/head coach Curly Lambeau. It's the same style from the last several years of his tenure, with a solid line obscuring the space where Lambeau's name used to appear.

The next letter, also boilerplate, is written on a new style of letterhead. It was written after that March 22nd get-together, and Joannes comes armed with a plan:

Wisconsin Historical Society

March 30, 1950

     I would appreciate very much if you would consent to assist me in making the solicitation next week of the larger companies in Green Bay. We have set this group up as a special department of the drive and we hope that it will be possible to complete this drive prior to the start of the general canvas. I am calling a meeting to be held at the Beaumont Hotel, Monday, April 3rd, at 6:00 P. M..

     I know you fully realize the importance of our getting together to work out these plans and I sincerely hope you will make every effort to be with me.

Sincerely yours,

Lee Johannes, Chairman
Packer Stock Drive

LJ:M.C.

That April 3rd meeting must also have been productive, because nine days after that Joannes wrote our original letter to his "fellow workers" on the drive, with public sales in full swing.

So there you have it. Three letters, written by the same man in the span of about a month, all about the same project but all on different letterhead.

The first letter is on altered Lambeau-era (but Lambeau-less) letterhead. Curly's colors, with big bold graphics across the top and at the bottom.

I've never seen the second one before. It could be an example of the new style for 1950. That would fit; not only is the single-color ink appropriate for a suddenly-thrify franchise, it reflects the team color change made by new head coach Gene Ronzani. Out with the old blue and gold, in with the green. Lots and lots of green. Although the ticket office—319 E. Walnut—is for the first time listed on the letterhead, the head coach is not, indicating that the Packers might not have expected Ronzani to have the extensive tenure of his predecessor.

The final letter is clearly old stock. The first two were external correspondence, hat-in-hand outreach to Green Bay's business community, and represented the best face the Packers could put forward. Internal communications don't have the same needs, and so Joannes could be excused for re-using old letterhead he might have had lying around. The Packers were, as he said, in an "economy program".

Sixty-two years later, the letters tell us a story. Even if it's not quite the one Mr. Joannes intended when he wrote them.

Auction Gold - Curly Lambeau's Cleats

This one's a doozy.

MEARS is offering a once-in-a-lifetime find in their current auction; a pair of football cleats worn by Curly Lambeau.

The catalog description is extensive, so I'm going to reprint it here in full for its historical value.

Lot #360: 1929-43 Earl "Curly" Lambeau Green Bay Packers Game Worn Riddell Yellow Back Kangaroo Leather Football Cleats (MEARS/Consignor LOA)


The Heart and Sole of Green Bay

Curly Lambeau was the heart and soul of the Green Bay Packers. Without him, there would be no team in Green Bay today. Other early small town franchises such as Akron and Rock Island lasted only a very short time before fading into football obscurity. Lambeau, through relentless determination saved Green Bay from a similar fate.

Offered for the MEARS Online Auctions current sale is a rare game worn item of great historical importance associated with Green Bay Packers' legend, Curly Lambeau. In a recent interview with Tom Murphy, Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame Archivist, he stated he was unaware of any personally worn item belonging to Curly Lambeau in the archives of the Packers Hall of Fame.

The staff of MEARS Auctions also combed auction catalogs, past sales records, and internet archives and was not able to find one single Curly Lambeau game worn item to come to public market. This means that to my knowledge and the very best of my research abilities, this is the first and only Curly Lambeau game worn item to survive which can be linked to his possible playing days and coaching career. Research also dates this item exclusively to Lambeau's tenure with the Green Bay Packers, 1929-43 circa.

World class collections must contain an anchor piece, an item that represents the genesis of a player or franchise. Each main sports category has a nucleus, an item that is the origin of the sport and represents a greater meaning than the artifact itself.

Our hobby has seen several items that fit this classification. Examples that come to mind are the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings trade card which is the foundation of a great baseball card collection or the 1891 James Naismith Basketball Rules which outlined the birth of professional basketball.

For this lot, we are offering Curly Lambeau's 1929-43 circa Green Bay Packers personally worn football cleats, originally given as a gift to close personal friend Mary Jane Duyse. As Lambeau proudly carried the Packers franchise on his back, he was wearing these shoes on his feet. These shoes epitomize the importance of Curly Lambeau to the Green Bay Packers and the NFL. This is one of the most icon relics of Green Bay Packers history ever to be offered publicly.

Mary Jane Duyse

Mary Jane Duyse was with Curly Lambeau during his final moments. According to the book, "Lambeau: The Man Behind the Mystique" by David Zimmerman, copyright 2003, the author chronicled Curly Lambeau's final hours while preparing for a date with the much younger Mary Jane. He wrote,

"He drove slowly through Egg Harbor, another little Door County town. He thought of Mary Jane and how much he enjoyed being with her. Even though she was half his age, it didn't seem to matter to the two of them.

Mary Jane, still living at home, waited as her father Francis mowed the grass of the front yard with an old push mower. "Hey Francis, let me take a turn at that. I need some exercise," said Curly. Up and down the lawn he went. It felt good. He felt good. "Look at the new dance I've learned in California," and began to do the twist. Francis yelled, "Don't do this!"

With sweat rolling down his face and his shirt now damp with perspiration, he stopped, reached for his handkerchief in his back pocket and began wiping his face. Suddenly, he felt dizzy, disoriented and sick to his stomach. "I feel kind of sick," he mumbled, and then fell backwards into Francis' arms."

Curly Lambeau died on the front lawn at 522 Michigan Street, Sturgeon Bay, WI, on June 1st, 1965. He was 67 years old.

Along with several letters, photographs, and other items of memorabilia, Curly Lambeau presented Mary Jane Duyse's family these game worn shoes. They proudly remained in her collection for many years before being gifted to her Sturgeon Bay neighbor.

Research conducted by MEARS Authentication services dates these shoes to the 1929-43 era, all exclusive to his tenure with the Green Bay Packers. This was determined by photographic analysis, review of trade ads, and a review of the physical shoe construction.

The shoes themselves were manufactured by Riddell Sporting Goods are an early version.

According to his online biography, John Tate Riddell was born in Georgetown, Michigan in October, 1885. From 1913 through 1927 he taught Mathematics and was Head Football Coach and Athletic Director at Evanston Township High School in Evanston, Illinois. It was at this time Mr. Riddell invented and developed the removable cleat.

He did it to solve a problem for his Evanston High School team. In those years football shoes were equipped with leather cleats. At the time, football cleats were made of leather and nailed to the sole of the shoe. Changing cleats due to inclement weather required the services of a cobbler to have longer "mud cleats" installed. Because Northwestern University used the same cobbler as Evanston Township High School, Evanston's football shoes were often not finished by game time.

Riddell knew his idea would solve this problem for everyone, once and for all. Lacking the capital necessary to start his own business, Riddell had his shoes manufactured by the J.P. Smith Shoe Company, and he and his wife installed the posts and cleats in the evenings. He continued to teach, coach and produce his shoes until 1927, when, with the popularity of shoes growing, he left education to devote his entire effort to producing shoes. John T. Riddell, Inc. was formed in February, 1929.

It makes great sense that Curly Lambeau would have quickly adopted the use of a new innovation such as a detachable cleat. Everything written about him supports his promotion of strategic innovation and it is only logical that translated to improvements in available equipment.

Dating 1929-43 circa

Since Riddell officially formed as a company in 1929, we base the starting date as a possible year of issuance to 1929. This was due to the fact "RIDDELL" is stamped in a series of punch holes on both tongues. It is possible based on the design these shoes were available to Lambeau to wear during his final season as a player/coach with the 1929 Packers team.

According to May, 1932 John T. Riddell, Inc. print ad (copy included), the cleats were described as, "Riddell Football shoes were first used in 1922, Northwestern University has used them continuously since 1923. University of Chicago since 1924, Illinois and Nebraska and many others since 1925. Riddell cleats have won for themselves the unique distinction of being the original and only screw cleat that will stand under hard usage."

Examination reveals this is the correct 7 screw cleat shoe offered by Riddell during the period.

Further review determines these cleats are the hand turned yellow back Kangaroo hide, consisted with catalog model, "Style G" which originally sold for $14.00 and was the top of the line model. The literature goes on to note that the several colleges including the University of Wisconsin wore this model shoe.

Examination of the cleats when compared to the Riddell official sales literature helps MEARS determine this is a No. 1 style cleat. The catalog describes it as, "No. 1, Best for practice and wear. Being softer is easier on the feet."

The catalog does list cleat No. 4 as a "game cleat". Since No. 1 was listed as "best for practice", this may indicate this was Lambeau's preferred pair of coaching shoes.

With the rudimentary application of the tongue "RIDDELL" stamping, his may have been personally done by John T. Riddell and his wife as they built the early cleats together during the evenings. This would pre-date our estimated 1929 dating and would have made these shoes available for Lambeau to wear while a player for the Green Bay Packers. This fact cannot be substantiated, but the strong possibility does exist. A 1927 image of Lambeau playing for the Packers feature him wearing a similar pair of high top football cleats, but the exact maker is unidentified.

Imagery Analysis of Lambeau Cleat Style

Available images verify Lambeau as wearing this style at various points of his career with the Green Bay Packers. The following images support high top cleats being worn by Lambeau early in his career, 1927-43, and low tops later:

1927 Lambeau throwing as player (Riddell attribution is not positive)

1932 Lambeau with high tops

1945 Lambeau with low tops during training camp

1948 Lambeau with low tops during practice

1950 Lambeau with low tops

1951 Lambeau with low tops

Available images suggest that Lambeau switched to a low top style around 1944, and continued with that preference until his retirement from Pro Football in 1952.

Physical Wear Description

Examination reveals both Riddell shoes have heavy game wear. The entire leather exteriors of the shoe shows scuffing and wear to the yellow Kangaroo hide. The canvas interior also shows signs of heavy game wear. Certainly a full season's worth of use, possible more. Both "RIDDELL & 11 (size)" are punched into the leather of the tongue. Both cleats have a complete set of (7) No. 1 style cleats that remain tightly attached. The left shoe has replacement black leather lacing, the right shoe has a vintage brown leather lace, and I am not sure if it is vintage to the shoe. Small clumps of ancient dried mud and grass are found embedded into various crevices of the sole's of the shoes, possibly picked up at City Stadium or Milwaukee State Fair Park.

Lambeau Identication and Attribution

In addition to the direct chain or provenance, each shoe is marked with an unique identifier exclusive to Curly Lambeau. On the left shoe, "C.L". I is neatly written in faded, worn black marker.

On the right shoe, "Curly" is neatly written in faded, worn black marker. The use of the name "Curly" is proper for the era as he was first listed as "Curly" Lambeau in a 1918 newspaper article covering his Notre Dame career. The name stuck and we was referred to as Curly almost ever since.

Examination reveals the black marker to be faded and worn, both signs of authentic patination. The remnants of the ink have set deeply in with the leather of the soles. It is in my expert opinion that the writing was placed on the shoes around 80+ years ago.

Provenance

These shoes have remained in Sturgeon Bay since the day Curly Lambeau personally hand delivered them to Mary Jane Duyse. The cleats were proudly displayed in her home for many years. At some point after the death of Mr. Lambeau, the next door neighbor of Mary Jane Duyse obtained the shoes from the Duyse family. He cherished them for many years before gifting them to our consignor (also a Sturgeon Bay resident) shortly before his death. I personally drove to Sturgeon Bay to take possession of the shoes for our current auction, which was only miles from the home of Mary Jane Duyse and the spot where Curly Lambeau died. The existences of the shoes have been known within the Packers collecting community for many years. Our consignors' letter will chronicle the names of all owners in the custody chain.

Historical Feats Accomplished During the Era these shoes would have been worn

During 1929 Lambeau became the team's coach and playing captain. Lambeau was the first pass-minded coach in the NFL and his teams were like their leader, impatient and explosive. An excellent passer in his own right, Curly flew in the face of common practice.

Despite rules that made it difficult to use the forward pass, Lambeau's Packers were a team whose main offensive weapon was the pass – at any time, on any down, from anywhere on the field. With his vaunted passing attack, he led the Packers to championships in 1929, 1930, and 1931. After signing future Hall of Fame receiver Don Hutson in 1935, they won three more titles – 1936, 1939, & 1944."

It is highly probably these shoes were worn during one or more early Championship season. A more historic item of Green Bay Packers history does not exist. It is our opinion that these cleats are the only known personally worn item that survived the career of Curly Lambeau. This lot represents a very rare opportunity to own the only known game worn artifact directly linked to football icon Curly Lambeau.

A LOA from the consignor detailing the provenance directly back to Mary Jane Duyse will accompanying this lot. LOA Troy R. Kinunen / MEARS Auctions, LOA consignor. LOA Troy Kinunen / MEARS

I'm usually very skeptical about an item like this, but this seems solid. I first heard about these cleats several years ago, but don't recall that provenance. Very exciting.

Shame that these cleats will likely disappear into a private collection; they really belong in the Packers Hall of Fame.

---

UPDATE 3/3/2013:   The final hammer price, including Buyers Premium, was $25,958. If this is to be the centerpiece of a private collection, I'd like to see the rest of that collection.