It Came From the (Photo) Morgue: 49er Fever

In honor of the San Francisco 49er Football team going to the Super Bowl, we went to the San Francisco News-Call Bulletin Photo Morgue. Of course, we can't top our favorite locker room find from last season, but these photographs do capture the mid-century action of football. From the simplicity of stenciled coach t-shirts to drinking water from a mason jar -- visual details such as these remind us that this was the era before endorsements (and yes, the players made a lot less money than today's team!). To add some flair and color, we've included a few finds from the San Francisco Ephemera Collection.

San Francisco 49ers at Kezar Stadium, 1955

News copy on the backside of the photograph: "Confusion Reigns in 49ers Camp - San Francisco Coach Red Strader moves onto the playing field as he barks instructions to his players in losing effort against Rams. Y. A. Title moves in on offense as Dicky Moegle comes to sidelines." September 26, 1955.

Coaches for San Francisco 49ers, 1955

News copy on the backside of the photograph: "Hey, Men, What's Wrong With 49ers? - Everybody's asking about the enigma of the 49ers and nobody seems to have the answer to why they look so horribly inept. Five more puzzled gents are the 49ers' coaches. Left to right: Head man Red Strader, Red Hickey, Phil Bengtson, Mark Duncan, Frankie Albert." October 4, 1955. 

Program, August 17, 1952

Maybe the coaches and team needed to get a little pep by singing the fight song:

Football Polka dedicated to the Forty Niners
by Martin Judnich

"Let's sing the For-ty Nin-ers' fight song,
"While we shout GO GO GO GO!
"We cheer the team of San Fran-cis-co,
"While they GO GO GO GO GO!
"Our gang shall drive and keep on roll-ing,
"And across the goal they'll go.
"Let's sing the For-ty Nin-ers' fight song,
"While we shout GO GO GO GO!"

San Francisco 49ers defense, 1957

News copy on the backside of the photograph: "The Defensive team of the 49ers lines up for overhead shot. Players are (front row) Bob Toneff, Bill Herchman, Leo Nomelini and Jackson Brumfield. Back row, Charley Powell, J. D. Smith, Stan Sheriff, Dick Moegle, Bob Holladay, Paul Carr and Ed Henke. Changes may be made prior to first game." August 6, 1957.

San Francisco 49ers water break, 1957

News copy on the backside of the photograph: "You think pro footballers only suffer on the field? Then take a look at the faces of these 49ers, snapped at bench by News Photographer Ken Yimm during the Detroit game. Picture shows, from left, an exhausted Bill Jessup, Bobby Cross and Bruce Bosley." November 5, 1957.

Ice Follies lovely and San Francisco 49ers, 1958

News copy on the backside of the photograph: "These three 49ers momentarily forgot to work when Ice Follies lovely Carol Caverly walked by to distract them from their work. Left to right, they are veterans Bob St. Clair, Frank Morze and Leo Nomellini. The talented trio are training at Moraga in preparation for the exhibition opener Aug. 17." August 5, 1958.

San Francisco 49ers 1981 schedule, courtesy of NFL

Of course, we can't forget the team and season that took us to our first Super Bowl! And then there was our first celebration, with 60,000 fans jammed in the Civic Center on January 25, 1985.

• Want to learn more about the history of the football team, the 49er greats, and Candlestick Park? Check out these books.
• Visit the San Francisco History Center for newspaper clippings and program guides about the San Francisco 49ers in the San Francisco Ephemera Collection. While you're at the Main Library, visit the Art, Music & Recreation Center and view the newspaper clippings on file for "Football" and "San Francisco 49ers."
• To scroll back in time to the Sporting Green of the San Francisco Chronicle, use the microfilm available in the Magazines & Newspapers Center.

Photos and news copy from the San Francisco News-Call Bulletin Photo Morgue are courtesy of the San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection, San Francisco Public Library.
[Box PxS13, Folder: Football. San Francisco 49ers]
Ephemera from the San Francisco Ephemera Collection is courtesy of the San Francisco History Center, San San Francisco Public Library.

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The San Francisco Public Library owns the photo morgue of the San Francisco News-Call Bulletin, a daily newspaper that covered the time period from the 1920s to 1965. Much of the San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection comes from the San Francisco News-Call Bulletin Photo Morgue. However, the morgue also includes statewide, national, and international subjects and people that have not been digitized or cataloged. When researchers order scans from the San Francisco News-Call Bulletin Photo Morgue,selections are cataloged and added to the online database.

Looking for a historical photograph of San Francisco? Try our online database first. Not there? Come visit us at the Photo Desk of the San Francisco History Center, located on the sixth floor at the Main Library. The Photo Desk hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays 10 a.m. to noon, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. You may also request photographs from the San Francisco News-Call Bulletin Photo Morgue.