Wilson's 1955-56 Catalog and the Future of Face Masks

I've written about the evolution of face masks in the past, but a recent acquisition illustrates how the future of face masks took a turn in the mid-1950s.

Football faced a critical juncture in head protection in the 1950s. Riddell introduced plastic helmets in 1940, but plastics became unavailable for civilian use within a year, so leather remained the primary material for helmet construction until post-war. As the 1940s closed and the 1950s began, plastic helmets quickly became the preferred to...