Maker: Whiting Manufacturing Company
The Eagle Foot Ball Trophy
The Brooklyn Eagle foot ball trophy cup is one of the handsomest pieces of silver ever turned out by the artists of the Whiting Manufacturing Company, silversmiths, of New York. Its cost was $800, but that gives hardly an adequate idea of the elaborateness and magnificent workmanship of the trophy. It is a loving cup of sterling silver, with two elaborately ornamented handles,and standing upon a base of white Mexican onyx–a new idea in mounting. The body of the cup has on its front or obverse side the figure of a foot ball player in full costume, holding in his bent forearm the regulation foot ball. The figure is in low relief and stands in a natural and graceful position. Surrounding the figure is the inscription in etched letters, The Brooklyn Daily Eagle foot ball trophy. Presented to the American Foot Ball Union, 1891." On the base of the cup, also in relief and surrounded by pierced ornamentation, is the American eagle, symbol of the donor, its right foot upon a globe and its left grasping the arrows upon a shield. Part of the body of the cup is ornamented in repousse chasing. The back or reverse side is left plain for inscriptions, as the cup is won from year to year. The cup was given by the Eagle to the American Foot Ball Union just before the opening of the past season. The members of the union for 1891 were the Crescent Orange and New York Athletic Club foot ball teams. The Crescents won the championship by defeating the Orange team by the score of 28 to 0 on November 7th, and the New York A. C. representatives on November 14th by the score of 18 to 6. The cup was formally presented to the Crescents, its first winners, by Mr. A. C. Burton, city editor of the Eagle, at the annual banquet tendered the team by the Crescent Athletic Club, on December 9th. The trophy remains the property of the American Foot Ball Union until it has been captured three successful times by one of the teams, when it reverts to the permanent ownership of the club of which the winning team is the representative.
Source: Brooklyn Daily Eagle Almanac - 1892
Does anyone know the whereabouts of this trophy?
Trev.