The Art of Football: The Early Game in the Golden Age of Illustration

The Art of Football by Michael Oriard explores the early years of American college football through the work of leading illustrators. This digital PDF edition makes the complete 2017 illustrated volume available as an instant download.

Michael Oriard, a distinguished scholar and former professional player, guides readers through more than two hundred images, many rare or previously unpublished. The collection includes artists such as Winslow Homer, Edward Penfield, J. C. Leyendecker, Frederic Remington, Charles Dana Gibson, George Bellows, and many others.

This is a digital product. Access is delivered electronically after purchase; no physical book will be shipped.

Book Overview

Art of Football examines the visual record of football’s early era, when the amateur game dominated and some of America’s greatest artists took up pen and brush. The book was published by the University of Nebraska Press in 2017 as an illustrated edition.

Michael Oriard is Distinguished Professor Emeritus in American literature and culture at Oregon State University and a former player for the University of Notre Dame and the Kansas City Chiefs. He is the author of several volumes on the cultural history of American football.

This work fits within the category of art and illustration, with strong connections to sports history, magazine illustration, and American popular culture.

What You’ll Discover Inside

• More than two hundred illustrations, many rare or previously unpublished.
• Works by Winslow Homer, Edward Penfield, J. C. Leyendecker, Frederic Remington, Charles Dana Gibson, George Bellows, and many others.
• The beginnings of American football art in Harper’s Weekly.
• Football cartoons, including the Gibson Girl and the Yellow Kid.
• Football poster art by Edward Penfield and J. C. Leyendecker.
• Illustrated football stories by Howard Giles and George Bellows.

Why This Book Matters

The Art of Football offers a singular look at early college football art and illustration. It shows how leading American artists helped shape the public image of the game long before film and television.

The book has been praised as a gorgeous and thoughtful overview of the visual record of football’s early years. It is a valuable resource for readers of football, students of American art, and observers of popular culture.

Book Details

Device Compatibility

This is a digital PDF download. After purchase, you will have immediate access to the file and can read it on devices that support PDF viewing, including Kindle apps, tablets, desktop computers, and mobile phones.

There is no physical shipping. Access is delivered electronically, and no printing is promised.

FAQ

When will I receive the book? Access is available immediately after purchase as an instant digital download.

Will a physical copy be shipped? No. This is a digital edition; no physical book will be sent.

What devices are supported? The PDF can be used with compatible reading apps on tablets, desktops, mobile devices, and Kindle apps.

Add The Art of Football to your digital library and explore the golden age of football illustration.

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