This beautiful, full color, photograph taken during the Franklin vs. Wabash football game of 10/05/1946 is titled, “Lineup before touchdown – Franklin.” The two teams are lined up for the next play. Note the bright colors and superb resolution, this is scanned from a Kodachrome slide taken by W. Norwood Brigance. The dozens of slides by Brigance are still fresh and the colors are holding beautifully.
Brigance was a teacher of Speech, nationally renowned for his scholarship in the field. Luckily for us, he was also an inveterate shutterbug. Thanks to his good work and good judgement, these photos are as vibrant as they were 74 years ago.
Thanks to Brigance’s keen eye we can look at the past in “living color” as the old TV ads proclaimed. There is something that much more real about a color photo. So much of our history is preserved in black and white, it is refreshing to see so much in color.
And, in case you are wondering – Wabash was victorious 22-7 over Franklin. In fact, that year the Little Giants lost only one game – to Butler on their home field. Other teams Wabash beat that year included Ball State. Rose-Poly. Centre College of KY, Lake Forest College and the biggest win – DePauw University, by a score of 26-0.
Go Wabash!
All best,
Beth Swift
Archivist
Wabash College
Crawfordsville, Indiana
