Helmets: Evolution of the Game, Presented by the Pro Football Hall of Fame
(opens August 1) The Canton Museum of Art will be exhibiting football helmets throughout history courtesy of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s collection. There have been three primary eras in the evolution of the football helmet - the leather era, the fiber shell era, and the plastic era. Our lobby exhibit will capture all of these eras. One example is Pete Henry’s leather Canton Bulldogs helmet, which features a head cap, chin strap, and ear flaps. His helmet style was common in professional football when the NFL was formed in Canton, OH, in 1920. Another example of a helmet in our exhibit is the one pictured - a rare 1930s full facemask made of leather. It was worn by players from the semi-pro team called the Cleveland Skeletons. Called an “intimidator” style helmet because of its looks and ability to cover a player’s entire face, it also once had glow in the dark paint encircling the eyeholes. This type of mask was uncomfortable and never became popular. After World War II, plastic helmets phased out the fiber shell. Learn more and come see various examples of helmets from the 1920s on in this lobby exhibit.