Back to 1954 — Part I
Happy New Year to all, and welcome to another year — our fifth — on The Web. As you know, we focus a lot of our historical attention on the Lombardi Era Packers, but now and then we jump further back or further ahead to the present day. To start off 2011, we are going back to visit the 1954 team, by showcasing this game program from a November game at Old CIty Stadium. The Detroit Lions were in town, and the Packers lost to the then-N.F.L. powerhouse(!) Lions 21-17. Strangely enough, the two teams met in the Motor City four days later for their annual Thanksgiving matchup, which the Lions also won 28-24. Green Bay finished at 4-6 that season, while the Lions were defeated by the Browns, 56-10, in the N.F.L. title game in Cleveland.
Here were your sources in “Packerland” for all Packers news in those days… I assume it was the same if you lived in Packerville as well.
In the days before The Weather Channel, we find it interesting that the Prange’s weather beacon was how local residents got their “forecast” (see the bottom of the above ad). My, how technology has changed. Prange’s, for you non-Midwesterners, was a major department store chain with their headquarters in Green Bay, Wis.
Here are the folks who ran your Green Bay Packers in the 1950’s. The team’s record for the decade (before Lombardi was hired in 1959) was 32-72-2. Yikes.
Capital Airlines was the official Packers airline in the 1950’s, as indicated by this ad. Capital was an airline which merged with United Airlines in 1961. Its primary hubs were National Airport near Washington, DC, and Allegheny County Airport near Pittsburgh. At its peak, it was the fifth largest domestic carrier in the U.S.
Above and below are biographies of your coaching staff for 1954.
Be sure to wait outside the locker room after the game to see of you can get the autograph of our team’s star quarterback, Tobin Rote.
Another photograph of the Packer Lumberjack Band, which we’ve spotlighted now and then on the Packerville blog.
Some game action from the 1954 team is seen here at the top of the page.
The program had some information on each of the Packers’ top players, beginning here.
In this ad, we can see the Green Bay Packers radio network, which reached into three states beyond Wisconsin’s borders.
This ad provided a 1953 team photo.
More player biographies here…
… and here, as well. Manci’s Supper Club was to later become a favorite spot for the Lombardi’s after home games in the 1960’s.
There are a lot of historical tidbits to be learned here…
It was nice of the Prest-o-lite people to include some game action in their ad.
We’ll end up today’s entry here on the program’s center spread, with a look at each team’s roster for the day’s contest. Come back tomorrow for Part II of this game program.
Happy New Year to all, and welcome to another year — our fifth — on The Web. As you know, we focus a lot of our historical attention on the Lombardi Era Packers, but now and then we jump further back or further ahead to the present day. To start off 2011, we are going back to visit the 1954 team, by showcasing this game program from a November game at Old CIty Stadium. The Detroit Lions were in town, and the Packers lost to the then-N.F.L. powerhouse(!) Lions 21-17. Strangely enough, the two teams met in the Motor City four days later for their annual Thanksgiving matchup, which the Lions also won 28-24. Green Bay finished at 4-6 that season, while the Lions were defeated by the Browns, 56-10, in the N.F.L. title game in Cleveland.
Here were your sources in “Packerland” for all Packers news in those days… I assume it was the same if you lived in Packerville as well.
In the days before The Weather Channel, we find it interesting that the Prange’s weather beacon was how local residents got their “forecast” (see the bottom of the above ad). My, how technology has changed. Prange’s, for you non-Midwesterners, was a major department store chain with their headquarters in Green Bay, Wis.
Here are the folks who ran your Green Bay Packers in the 1950’s. The team’s record for the decade (before Lombardi was hired in 1959) was 32-72-2. Yikes.
Capital Airlines was the official Packers airline in the 1950’s, as indicated by this ad. Capital was an airline which merged with United Airlines in 1961. Its primary hubs were National Airport near Washington, DC, and Allegheny County Airport near Pittsburgh. At its peak, it was the fifth largest domestic carrier in the U.S.
Above and below are biographies of your coaching staff for 1954.
Be sure to wait outside the locker room after the game to see of you can get the autograph of our team’s star quarterback, Tobin Rote.
Another photograph of the Packer Lumberjack Band, which we’ve spotlighted now and then on the Packerville blog.
Some game action from the 1954 team is seen here at the top of the page.
The program had some information on each of the Packers’ top players, beginning here.
In this ad, we can see the Green Bay Packers radio network, which reached into three states beyond Wisconsin’s borders.
This ad provided a 1953 team photo.
More player biographies here…
… and here, as well. Manci’s Supper Club was to later become a favorite spot for the Lombardi’s after home games in the 1960’s.
There are a lot of historical tidbits to be learned here…
It was nice of the Prest-o-lite people to include some game action in their ad.
We’ll end up today’s entry here on the program’s center spread, with a look at each team’s roster for the day’s contest. Come back tomorrow for Part II of this game program.