This photo of an early football team comes with plenty of clues! The back of the photo includes a list of names: Row Bottom. L to R: Bill Turner, Lee Ford, Bill Aden, Harvey Luckelt(?). 2nd Row: Rex Latting, Burt Munson, (?) Fox, Bob Scrivener(?), Aex Yebron (?)-Standing. Back Row: Emery Shaplow, Bill Fowler [City Engineer], Lee McCourk [Fescher L. Cement Co.], Allen Sperry. Do you know what team these upside-down triangle and striped uniforms represent? Any idea what year this is?
SOLVED!!
We received a lot of helpful information from Hugh Lehman on this mystery. Well done! He, and a second anonymous submission, both pointed out that the players uniforms feature a prominent three-sided logo, which reflects the Spirit-Mind-Body Triangle of the YMCA, adopted as a logo in 1891. The Memphis YMCA fielded football teams from 1899-1908, with Luckett serving as captain around 1907-1908.
Mr. Lehman also noted that the nose guard equipment being worn around the neck of “Jno Fox” is a distinctive Penna or Morrill nose guard with a patented removeable mouthpiece (the very visible rectangle with three holes), which was not invented until May 1905. This helps date the photograph from sometime between 1905-1908.
We’ve also updated the record to include additional details about the men pictured here as part of the YMCA team. To read more of the new details, visit this item’s page on DIG Memphis!