Football in 1906
Subject(s): Football, Football players
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Illustration shows a lighthearted look at the game of football as though it were played by dainty men of effeminate natures.
Comments and Context
In one of Puck‘s ever-increasing center-spreads given over to humorous commentary and multiple genre gags, cartoonist J. S. Pughe lobbed two softballs, not one, at readers: easy targets.
In 1905, President Roosevelt noted growing calls across the country to confine, restrict, or eliminate college football. Indeed it was a rough sport, even — or especially — at the Ivy League level, with few rules, little protective gear, and virtual anarchy on the field. Injuries were common, and deaths were not uncommon.
Roosevelt invited interested parties to the White House and proposed changes — new rules, protective gear, and the adoption of yard-lines, end zones, quarterback passes, and other things. In this eyes of many, his intervention saved the sport, and in 1911 the National Collegiate Athletic Association was formed; an annual Theodore Roosevelt award is presented to clean players and community leaders in his honor.
At the time of this cartoon, a social change, generally commencing in the Gay Nineties, was still changing the face of American society — the “emancipated woman.” Assertive in jobs and sporting pursuits, beginning to agitate for the right to vote, the “American girl” was a phenomenon.
Both phenomena, in fact — generally less violent football games, and independent-minded women — were two convenient cliches for a lazy cartoonist to employ, especially in tandem.
Collection
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
Creation Date
1906-01-03
Creator(s)
Pughe, J. S. (John S.), 1870-1909
Period
U.S. President – 2nd Term (March 1905-February 1909)
Repository
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division
Page Count
1
Record Type
Image
Resource Type
Rights
These images are presented through a cooperative effort between the Library of Congress and Dickinson State University. No known restrictions on publication.
Citation
Cite this Record
Chicago:
Football in 1906. [January 3, 1906]. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs.
https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o278476. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Pughe, J. S. (John S.), 1870-1909. Football in 1906. [3 Jan. 1906]. Image.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. March 26, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o278476.
APA:
Pughe, J. S. (John S.), 1870-1909., [1906, January 3]. Football in 1906.
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/digital-library/o278476.
Cite this Collection
Chicago:
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-prints-and-photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
MLA:
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. March 26, 2026. https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-prints-and-photographs.
APA:
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University. Retrieved from https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/collection/library-of-congress-prints-and-photographs.
