The above image is hanging in the upstairs section of the Connell Student Center at Mercer. It captures the crowd of people gathered for Mercer's Homecoming football game at Porter Stadium in 1938 and is one of my favorites on campus because it reflects a completely different era. Prestigious men are dressed in suits and tophats, and women wear conservative dresses. Several folks can be seen enjoying a Coke, and most all of the subjects appear fixed on the game. It's also interesting to note that this was one of the final seasons of Mercer football (because the team was not fielded during WWII and never returned following the war).
The difference of 70 years is striking. Today, we wear t-shirts and caps to sporting events, and we often choose to socialize with our friends instead of watching the contest. From my perspective, individuality plays a much greater role today than it appeared to in 1938. Perhaps it is the uniformity of the subjects and the lack of emotion on faces that contributes to the mystique of this image.
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