1917 Die Cut Flat Top FB Helmet West Point Dance Card – Anyone seen it before?

[CarltonHendricks]

Picked up this dance card up last night/very early this morning on eBay. The listing didn’t specify the dimensions. I’m hoping it’s about 5” square but if not I like it no matter. Normally I would want to know the size first but it had a BIN and I liked it so much I wanted to make sure I got it so pulled the trigger. I can’t recall seeing another…but I don’t usually do cards. Has anyone seen one of these?

Obviously the invitation swings out…I guess the cord acts to secure the invitation part as a swivel point from the ear…and maybe double as a facsimile chin strap??....all I know is its dynamite and that sucker was coming home.



"FALL HOPS 1917" is printed in gold on the side of the helmet and there's some kind of football shaped art work above it that I can't make out...guess it'll have to wait till I get it....but looks like there may be some eagles wings coming out the bottom.



I just went to the California International Antiquarian Book Fair in San Francisco last Friday, opening preview day. The quality of stuff is incredible….lots of posters and paper besides just books…It’s one of the richest quality antique shows I’ve ever seen…everywhere you look there’s great quality stuff for sale. However….just to prove how rare antique sports stuff is I didn’t see anything in the whole show that was a killer sports display piece. Had this dance card been there it would have been priced a whole lot more that I had to pay on eBay….and I’d have probably paid it!

I’m not exactly sure how to display it….I’ll have to wait and see once I get it….kind of depends on how big it is….how much of a splash it would make if framed…

[smotan_02]

Hi Carlton,
Great find, of course I'm partial to anything from my alma mater. The hop cards were cards that USMA handed out to the ladies (cadets called them "stags") when they arrived to the dance. The inside of the card is simply blank lines. On these lines the ladies would write the names of cadets. She would then dance with these cadets in the order of their names; one dance per song. The fall hop would often fall on homecoming weekend and therefore would often have a football theme. I've seen a few with a football player pictures or shaped like a football, but yours is the first helmet shaped. Great piece.

These dance cards are often about 3x5 and I would imagine your card is slightly smaller than these dimensions. You were right that the string would often hold the cards together but they would also attach a pencil to the end of the dangling tassle.

Also, the emblem is that of helmet of Pallas Athena with a sword through it. The sword signifies war but the helmet signifies "the art of war", meaning its participants must devote themselves to wisdom and learning. Later (after your hop card), USMA will add an eagle and a shield to the coat of arms to create their current crest.

I hope this helps answer your questions. I have a couple of these from 1903-1905 and they are a unique part of USMA history.