Possible Michigan Wolverines Helmet Photo Match

[halzeus]

This is my first attempt at photo matching this helmet.

Black and White photo was taken in 1977 - Michigan vs. Texas A&M (3rd game of the season). Let me hear your opinions please.

A - possible matching paint scrape
B - chin strap snap location
C - clear facemask clips on sides
D - dark facemask clips on top

http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk225/halzeus/misc/DowningHelmetPhotoMatch.jpghttp://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk225/halzeus/misc/MyHelmetPhotoMatch.jpg

[both-teams-played-hard]

I'm sure this is the same helmet. However, it is an inconclusive photo-match. Sweet helmet, and the photo (match or not) definitely increases the value.
Keep searching those media guides and programs!

[aeneas01]

first let me say that you have a great looking helmet on your hands, one that could easily be deemed an authentic gamer without even referencing game photos imo. nonetheless photo matching is always the perfect icing on the cake and i think the photos below confirm a photo match...

about your helmet: it's an "air power" manufactured by bike and it was molded in march of 1976 - it's also among the first bike helmets ever made given that bike introduced their line of helmets in 1976/77. your helmet is fitted with a schutt facemask however it's also fitted with facemask clips manufactured by two different companies. the top clips were made by schutt, typical to that facemask. but the side clips, the "clear" clips you referred to, were made by dungard and designed to be used with dungard facemasks. although michigan used both schutt and dungard facemasks during that era, for some reason their equipment manager preferred to use dungard side clips regardless if the facemask was a schutt or a dungard. many michigan players that wore schutt facemasks can be seen sporting this setup in game photos from that era, including walt downing.

top photo: a nice shot of michigan players, including downing, taken in november of 1977 - most likely the nov 5 game against northwestern. if i have the date correct, downing would wear this helmet for three more games including the rose bowl.

middle photo: award decal comparison - not only are the number of decals the same (7), but they are positioned identically. further, check out the bottom award decal on both helmets - it is facing in the opposite direction!

bottom photo: wear/scratch comparison - i think it's very evident that the prominent scratches match well, as does the ear hole wear. the upward angle of the side facemask clip is also a good match. anyway, great helmet and imo no doubt it was worn by walt downing....

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y238/aeneas1/mich04.jpg

...

[both-teams-played-hard]

first let me say that you have a great looking helmet on your hands, one that could easily be deemed an authentic gamer without even referencing game photos imo. nonetheless photo matching is always the perfect icing on the cake and i think the photos below confirm a photo match...

about your helmet: it's an "air power" manufactured by bike and it was molded in march of 1976 - it's also among the first bike helmets ever made given that bike introduced their line of helmets in 1976/77. your helmet is fitted with a schutt facemask however it's also fitted with facemask clips manufactured by two different companies. the top clips were made by schutt, typical to that facemask. but the side clips, the "clear" clips you referred to, were made by dungard and designed to be used with dungard facemasks. although michigan used both schutt and dungard facemasks during that era, for some reason their equipment manager preferred to use dungard side clips regardless if the facemask was a schutt or a dungard. many michigan players that wore schutt facemasks can be seen sporting this setup in game photos from that era, including walt downing.

top photo: a nice shot of michigan players, including downing, taken in november of 1977 - most likely the nov 5 game against northwestern. if i have the date correct, downing would wear this helmet for three more games including the rose bowl.

middle photo: award decal comparison - not only are the number of decals the same (7), but they are positioned identically. further, check out the bottom award decal on both helmets - it is facing in the opposite direction!

bottom photo: wear/scratch comparison - i think it's very evident that the prominent scratches match well, as does the ear hole wear. the upward angle of the side facemask clip is also a good match. anyway, great helmet and imo no doubt it was worn by walt downing....

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y238/aeneas1/mich04.jpg

...

Aeneas Strikes Again...Helps Fellow Collector...News at 11.

[500goals]

wow is all I can say. Nice work boys. R

[halzeus]

You are absolutely incredible Robert!! I can't thank you enough. Thanks for the photo match.

I showed my wife your photo match and like me, she was impressed with your vast knowledge of the helmet world.

Thanks again

Dan

[aeneas01]

dan, another thing you might be interested in knowing about your helmet is that it was hand painted by a very special guy, russ hawkins. russ is now in his 70s and still paints helmets for the wolverines, and he's been doing so since 1967. michigan uses both riddell helmets and schutt helmets - riddell helmets are shipped to a riddell reconditioner at year's end for cleaning/painting while schutt helmets are shipped to russ at capital varsity reconditioning. riddell uses a stencil and assembly line sort of setup while russ uses masking tape and does it by "eye". for my money i would much rather have a helmet painted by russ than riddell! as a vintage helmet collector, i consider russ a very important figure in the history of football helmets - when russ finally calls it quits i have little doubt that michigan will switch to decals and another link to vintage helmets will be gone forever...

here's a nice article about russ....

The Oxford Press
Tuesday January 23, 2007
By Joe Giordano, Staff Writer

Russ Hawkins bleeds maize and blue. His paint-speckled hands and clothes will attribute to that. Every year the University of Michigan sends him a burlap sack of scratched helmets after spring practice, so he can repaint the yellow-winged emblem that adorns each one.

Over the years, Hawkins has perfected his craft, cranking out helmets in a matter of minutes. Last week coworkers at Capitol Varsity celebrated the sum of those minutes equaling 50 years of service. "I started working here in January 1957. I was almost 19-years-old," Hawkins said. "Believe it or not some of the high schools still had leather helmets when I first started here."

Approximately 10 years into his career at Capitol Varsity, Hawkins began painting the Wolverine helmets. According to the former Capitol Varsity owner, the Ringwood Road business started fixing Michigan helmets after Bo Schembechler left Miami University and moved to the "state up north" in the late 1960s.Talawanda and Miami graduate Jon Falk became the Wolverines' equipment manager in 1974 and has kept the bond strong between the university and Capitol Varsity to this day, former owner Frank Dodd said.

When Hawkins first started painting the helmets, he would sketch the outline of the yellow wing before taping over it to spray-paint the rest of it blue. Over time he learned to bend thin strips of tape to outline the helmet's wings. Today he is the only man, who still paints Michigan's headgear without a stencil, the current Capitol Varsity owner noted. "It's amazing the way he bends the tape around," said owner Bob Fawley, whose company fixes more than 60,000 helmets a year including some from Miami University.

Sitting on a stool in a paint room with compressors rattling, Hawkins curves the straight tape effortlessly over a yellow helmet as if it were a boiled spaghetti noodle. After filling in the outline with masking tape, he affixes three stripes that flow from the wings. It's usually completed in under five minutes, Hawkins said.

During a break Friday, Capitol Varsity employees celebrated the 50-year party, a few days after the actual mark because of Hawkins' modesty. "One of the amazing things, Russ being Russ, is that he didn't say a word to anybody," Fawley said. "He walked in here and said, 'You know I've been here 50 years ago today.' " During his celebration, Hawkins said he can spot a helmet he has painted whenever he is watching is favorite team play on Saturdays. "I've been a Michigan fan for a long time," Hawkins said. "I've painted (their helmets) so long I know how to do it by heart."

...

[halzeus]

Robert-

Once again, thank you.

It's guys like you that make this forum a great resource.