Feature Points
- HISTORIC PHOTO REPRODUCTION: You’ll love this high quality historic reproduction of 1869 First Intercollegiate Football Game Photo Print. Our museum quality prints are archival grade, which means it will look great and last without fading for over 100 years. Our print to order photos are made in the USA and each print is inspected for quality. This historic photo is a perfect addition to your themed decor. Vintage photos look great in the home, study or office. They make a perfect gift as well.
- MUSEUM QUALITY: This high quality photo print will be a great addition to your vintage-themed wall. Don't waste money on cheap-looking, thin paper photos. We use high-end printing equipment with professional quality photo paper and ink. Our professional’s choice semi-gloss paper displays images beautifully.
- A LOOK BACK AT HISTORY: This is an impressive, historic reproduction of 1869 History of College Football Wall Art. A true piece of history. See our product description section for more fascinating information about this historic photo and its significance.
- READY TO FRAME: This unframed print includes a 0.2 inch border for a perfect frame fit and look. Our photos are designed to fit easy-to-find standard frame sizes, saving you money from having to pay for a custom frame. Each photo is inspected for quality and shipped in a rigid envelope or tube. The Historic Prints logo watermark will not appear in the printed photo.
- HISTORIX: We love history and art. Sometimes old photos have tears, separations and other blemishes. We digitally restore and enhance photos while keeping its historical character. All our photos are proudly made in the USA. Looking for a specific photo size? Please contact us. Customers all over the world love our vintage photos and we know you will too.
Additional Information
This unique depiction of the 27 players that participated in the first intercollegiate football game between Princeton and Rutgers is an interesting piece of American sporting history. Because the game was played at Rutgers, in New Brunswick, NJ, according to their rules, it consisted of two teams of 25 attempting to kick a ball into their opponent's goal to end a single game. In total, ten games were played to determine the winner.
While the game would not have resembled modern American football, it still remains a crucial piece of the development of college sports which has become widely popular across the nation. Rutgers would ultimately win the game 6-4 due to their agility and improved kicking skills over their opponent. The first intercollegiate game that would resemble modern football was held between Tufts and Harvard in 1875. The match between Rutgers and Princeton was a tough battle due to the fierce rivalry between the two universities located only twenty miles apart. This rivalry remains to this day and led to the Princeton players being literally run out of town by Rutgers students following the conclusion of the game.
In 1968 Albert Friberg was commissioned to paint 'The First Game,' one of four works to commemorate 100 years of college football. The site of the game is now the College Avenue Gymnasium. There were approximately one hundred spectators in attendance wearing scarlet scarves to distinguish themselves from the Princeton players, which established the Rutgers Scarlet Knights collegiate teams.
