Christmas Memorabilia

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BilldGopher

BilldGopher

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Mrs. Billd and Kiddo have great eyes for Gopher Football memorabilia that can come to me as gifts for Christmas. This year I received two gems...

First, from Kiddo is the book "History of Minnesota Football," with copywrite 1928 and produced by the Minnesota Alumni Association. It's in fair condition...
1703538349321.png 1703538480490.png

Second from Mrs. Billd is a "Gopher Holding Football" figurine from the 1930s. It stands about 3 inches tall, is hand painted, and clearly has the markings of a 13-lined ground squirrel that one day would become Goldy. Even better, the football it's holding has a painted "M" and itty-bitty laces. Here it is...

1703538768564.png 1703538865105.png

Even the toes are painted. Saw this at an antique store in Red Wing but price was too rich for me. Sneaky Mrs. Billd purchased it while I was not looking...

Merry Christmas and Go Gophers tomorrow in bowl game! Ski U Mah!
 


GVLCGopherFan said:
Nice. I don’t think they were even known as the gophers til mid 1920’s.
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The earliest reference to Minnesota being "gophers" that I see in the 1928 book I got is in a poem from 1900 about a contest between the "Badger and Gopher." I don't think that the actual mascot rendering to be a 13-lined ground squirrel came until the 20s or so as you suggest.

No matter fun to look back.
 


BilldGopher said:
Mrs. Billd and Kiddo have great eyes for Gopher Football memorabilia that can come to me as gifts for Christmas. This year I received two gems...

First, from Kiddo is the book "History of Minnesota Football," with copywrite 1928 and produced by the Minnesota Alumni Association. It's in fair condition...
View attachment 29168 View attachment 29169

Second from Mrs. Billd is a "Gopher Holding Football" figurine from the 1930s. It stands about 3 inches tall, is hand painted, and clearly has the markings of a 13-lined ground squirrel that one day would become Goldy. Even better, the football it's holding has a painted "M" and itty-bitty laces. Here it is...

View attachment 29170 View attachment 29171

Even the toes are painted. Saw this at an antique store in Red Wing but price was too rich for me. Sneaky Mrs. Billd purchased it while I was not looking...

Merry Christmas and Go Gophers tomorrow in bowl game! Ski U Mah!
Click to expand...
Crazy...my grandma had tons of those figurines. I always thought they were chipmunks holding an acorn. Who knew she was a Gopher junkie. 😉
 


Slim Tubby said:
Crazy...my grandma had tons of those figurines. I always thought they were chipmunks holding an acorn. Who knew she was a Gopher junkie. 😉
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I find that interesting. Can you see if you can find out more about it? Season ticket holder? Worked for the U? You got me curious.
 

HitMeAgainIAmStillMoving said:
I find that interesting. Can you see if you can find out more about it? Season ticket holder? Worked for the U? You got me curious.
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Both of my grandparents came over with their families from Sweden when they were very young and settled farms near Atwater. They loved the Gophers and the HS football team but would drop everything when it came to the townball games in the summer against the likes of Willmar, Grove City and Bird Island (my grandpa thought Barry Wohler was immortal and bought tickets for half the town to see Atwater alum Mike Kingery come to town with the Royals).

Anyhoo, I showed the figurine to my Mom and she said it looked very similiar but couldn't confirm they were an exact match. My grandparents would spend more time in the boat, corn fields chasing pheasants or duck blind rather than at home due to their love of the outdoors so in the end, they might very well have been chipmunks holding acorns. I swear they matched your figurine but I'll never know for sure.
 

Slim Tubby said:
Both of my grandparents came over with their families from Sweden when they were very young and settled farms near Atwater. They loved the Gophers and the HS football team but would drop everything when it came to the townball games in the summer against the likes of Willmar, Grove City and Bird Island (my grandpa thought Barry Wohler was immortal and bought tickets for half the town to see Atwater alum Mike Kingery come to town with the Royals).

Anyhoo, I showed the figurine to my Mom and she said it looked very similiar but couldn't confirm they were an exact match. My grandparents would spend more time in the boat, corn fields chasing pheasants or duck blind rather than at home due to their love of the outdoors so in the end, they might very well have been chipmunks holding acorns. I swear they matched your figurine but I'll never know for sure.
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Hello Slim. I've seen the figurine you're referencing over the years antiquing. You are correct they are very similar. I think what sets mine slightly apart is that it is clearly a football.

There is a penciled-in signature on the bottom/base that makes me think this may have been a home-made cast. Since we got it in Red Wing...the home of Red Wing Potteries...I wouldn't be surprised if some enterprising potter made a cast of the "acorn and chipmunk" and then modified it to be at least more of a football. Under this hypothesis it would have been academic from there.

A quick google came up with these hits...

1703631655336.png This is a mid-century modern piece of folk-art that is definitely the same theme...

And speaking of Red Wing... 1703631804278.png This is from 1939 and goes for $455(!). BTW, that's a Golden Gopher standing on the top.

Regardless, glad it sparked the memory for you (and gave you an excuse to talk to Mom). Ski U Mah and Happy New Year. Billd.
 
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