Innovations in the 1923-24 GoldSmith Fall & Winter Catalog
- Timothy Brown
- Jul 5
- 1 min read
This is another post from Football Archaeology, generously shared with us by Timothy Brown to highlight the FREE TO ALL (!) GoldSmith 1923-24 catalog. You can see the catalog in its entirety at: https://www.vintagesportscatalogs.com/catalogs-by-name/goldsmith-1923-24-fall-winter
I recently downloaded a PDF of the 1923-24 GoldSmith Fall & Winter catalog in the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library collection. It showcases the Cincinnati-based Goldsmith’s equipment innovations, boosted by color printing. So, let’s turn a few pages to look at the state of football uniforms and equipment heading into the 1923 season.
First, Goldsmith guaranteed their premium football, the No. RS, for two games before it might gain weight or become misshapen. They also touted their patented four-ply waxed linen stitching, which provided a better grip for forward passing, a skill becoming increasingly important in the game.
Notable is the line in its description:
| The ball is made with small pointed ends, an aid in forward passing.
While Goldsmith’s ball complied with NCAA rules regarding ball size, they modified the ball’s ogive (its curve or slope) for teams looking to throw the ball.
Later in the 1920s, some manufacturers produced slimmer balls that violated NCAA rules, and enough coaches supported using the “bootleg” balls that the NCAA changed the football’s specs in 1929 and 1934.
Next, we move to Goldsmith’s top-of-the-line helmets [...]
Read the rest of the fascinating history here with many more photos and descriptions of equipment, and don't forget to buy the man a coffee, as he shares his deep research while allowing us to spend more time loading more catalogs to this site for you to look through.