Here They
Are in All Their Glory!
The Uniforms
of the Chicago Bears
Bask in the Tradition. Bask
in the Memories.
Titled “Why Sundays Were
Invented” and Licensed by the National Football
League, the Artwork is available in two framed presentations:
An eye-catching framed-and-matted print measuring
12” x 21” that sells for only $52 each—which is an exceptional value for
a fully assembled Artpiece of this size.
And a dramatic 19” x 39” triple-matted high-quality print (a Letter of
Authenticity is included) that is limited to an edition size of only 299 and
sells for the discounted cost of $399.
Please note your Artwork will arrive at your
door in 7 to 10 days when you place your order. And needless to say, there is a 30-day full moneyback
guarantee. In addition, The
Greatest-Scapes pays all shipping costs and any required sales tax!
The Greatest-Scapes also offers the option of
an interest-free Extended Payment Plan for credit card orders. For the $52 framed print, you can pay $26.00
upfront and the balance of $26.00 thirty days later. While the $399 framed Limited Edition can be purchased with an
initial $133, and payments of $133 billed thirty and sixty days later.
To phone in your credit
card order, please call us at 1-800-786-3022 anytime between 10am and 6pm
(Eastern) Monday through Friday. You
can also mail in your order, payable to The Greatest-Scapes, to: The Greatest-Scapes/P.O. Box
5548/Pittsburgh, PA 15206. Please
include your shipping address and specify which Artwork(s) you’re ordering and
how many. And please don’t hesitate to
call us toll-free if you ever have any questions or would like any additional
information.
For your convenience, you can print out our
Order Form.
Click Here for
Order Form
And this Artwork evokes an unmistakably
Classic quality. Indeed, it will look
at home next to a diploma or a work of fine art. Whether you hang it on a wall or lean it on a shelf or mantle,
the Artwork will make a striking impression.
Please keep in mind, though, the visuals
depicted here on the website simply can not do justice to the detail and
quality of the actual Artwork.
Please note the uniform images shown are
produced from hand-painted watercolor paintings. The publisher chose this route, rather than photographs, because
in many cases original jerseys no longer exist, even at the various halls of
fame. In addition, a more consistent
look and feel for the uniforms is achieved by painting them, and allows for a
higher level of detail than a photograph in some cases.
Here, then, is a detailed description of the
12” x 21” Artpiece that sells for only $52 each. It consists of a 5” x 15” paper print that is housed in a black
frame with a textured black mat. The
black mat has a white groove cut into it, thus adding depth and beauty to the
piece. Weighing approximately five
pounds, the Artwork is covered by crystal-clear glass and includes a
“hanger” on the back to allow for easy hanging. The black frame—and especially the textured black mat with
white groove—makes this a truly stunning Artpiece.
The above is an example of
the 12” x 21” Artpiece, which depicts the Washington Redskins.
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As for the 19” x 39” Limited Edition Artwork,
please note each Artwork is printed on 115-lb Garda Gloss stock and then
mounted to avoid any rippling effects.
As for its matting and framing, the Limited Edition is triple-matted in
an acid-free framing style. The outer
mat is a rich, black textured mat with white core. The middle and inner mat colors have been selected to complement
the team’s colors and the overall framed piece. The matting is framed to create a shadow box effect, giving the
entire framed piece a unique three-dimensional look. The frame is an exquisite solid wood frame finished with a rich
black matte texture, chosen to complement all three mats and the print
itself. Finally, the Artpiece is
protected by high-quality framing glass; the total weight of the Artpiece being
approximately 10 pounds.
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The above is
an example of the 19” x 39” Limited Edition Artpiece,
which depicts
the New York Yankees.
Here then is the history of the Bears’ Uniforms …
#1.
1920 The
Chicago Bears and the Arizona Cardinals (originally the Chicago Cardinals) are
the two charter members of the National Football League still in existence.
Their 1,000-game history began in 1920 in Decatur, Illinois, when the Staley
Starch Company decided to sponsor a football team. On September 17, 1920, the
Decatur Staleys, with George Halas as their player/coach/manager, joined the
newly formed American Professional Football Association (APFA) for a franchise
fee of $100. In 1922 the APFA became the National Football League.
This 1920 blue jersey with tan colored
vertical striping, is a Decatur Staleys jersey, the franchise’s first year and
as mentioned above, the first year of the American Professional Football
Association. But this jersey had functionality to it – the vertical striping
were actually strips of felt sewn onto the uniform to help the ball carrier
securing the ball.
The 1920 Staleys finished with a record of
5-1-2, good for second place behind Akron.
Interestingly, the Staleys played only 2 games at home.
The following year, 1921, Staley Starch
Company decided to give up sports as a promotion and gave the team to Halas and
his partner Dutch Sternaman for a nominal fee. In fact, they gave Halas
permission to move the team to Chicago and about the only thing Halas had to do
in return was agree to keep the Staley name for a year.
Thus in 1921 Halas and Sternaman moved the
team to Chicago and played their games at Wrigley Field. And in 1921 the
Staleys won the APFA championship with a record of 9-1-1 – contrary to 1920,
the Staleys played all 11 games at home.
It’s interesting to note that from the beginning of the APFA in 1920
(and the NFL in 1922) right up to 1931, the league champion was the team with
the best winning record overall - it was actually more complicated than this in
some years, but we’ll leave that story for another time - there were no playoff
games; the regular season was the only season.
After the 1921 championship season, Halas’
agreement to keep the “Staley” name expired, and seeing as though Chicago’s
baseball team was named the Cubs, Halas thought it appropriate that the
football team be named the Bears, thus the Bear name began with the 1922
season.
#2.
1932 This
year witnessed the first INDOOR pro football game, a game that was played
December 18, 1932 in Chicago Stadium because of inclement weather. In this
game, played before 11,000 fans, the Bears beat the Portsmouth Spartans, thus
ensuring themselves of the ‘World’s Champions’ title in the first ever NFL
playoff game.
It’s interesting to note that in 1934, two
years after the year of this uniform, the Bears were part of football history.
The 1934 Bears, the 1942 Bears, and the 1972 Dolphins are the only 3 teams in
the history of the NFL to go through the regular season undefeated and untied.
Unfortunately, the ‘34 Bears lost to the Giants 30-13 in the NFL Championship
Game, while the 1942 Bears lost 14-6 to the Redskins in the final game. This
then left the 1972 Dolphins as the only team in NFL history to go undefeated
and untied throughout an entire NFL regular season and playoffs.
#3.
1935 This
orange jersey with black arm stripes is quite a departure from previous
jerseys, and was so “loud” that stories are told about crowds in New York booing
the jersey. Not the epitome of sportsmanship, but then again, New Yorkers have
been known to boo their own teams too. Note also the black helmet.
The orange jerseyed Bears finished the 1935
season with a 6-4-2 record, tied for 3rd in the NFL West, finishing
out of the playoffs for the first time since playoffs began in 1932.
#4.
1943 What
a year! Bronko Nagurski ends a 5-year retirement and at the age of 35, returns
to the Bears, plays 3 different positions, and helps lead the team to an 8-1-1
record and an NFL Championship! In the Championship game, the Bears met the
Washington Redskins, and came away 41-21 victors. It’s interesting to note that
much like today’s college teams, the Bears had to wait four weeks between their
last regular season game on November 28th and the Championship Game
on December 26th.
The early 40’s were heady times for the Bears
– in fact, they started off the 1940’s with an impressive four straight
appearances in the NFL Championship Game. They humiliated the Washington Redskins
73-0 in 1940, they went on to beat the Giants 37-9 in 1941, then lost 14-6 to
the Redskins in 1942. As noted above, they then came back with a vengeance in
1943 and defeated the Redskins 41-21.
Of note: The 1934 Bears, the 1942 Bears, and
the 1972 Dolphins are the only 3 teams in the history of the NFL to go through
the regular season undefeated and untied. Sadly, the 1934 Bears lost to the
Giants 30-13 in the NFL Championship Game, while the 1942 Bears lost 14-6 to
the Redskins in the final game. This then left the 1972 Dolphins as the only
team in NFL history to go undefeated and untied through an entire NFL season
and playoff.
Of special note – helmets at this point still
lacked any sort of facial protection. This truly was the era of ‘smash mouth’
football – remarkable.
#5.
1958 By
1958, the Bears are now wearing the colors most of us are familiar with today –
a deep deep blue (so blue it often appears to be black) with orange accents.
Note also how the jersey now features the uniform number on the side of the
sleeves. Despite winning almost 60% of their games during the 1950’s, the Bears
only made one playoff appearance, losing 47-7 to the Giants in 1956. The 1958
Bears finished with an 8-4 record, good for second place in the 6 team NFL
West, but not good enough to make the playoffs. At this point in NFL history,
the playoffs consisted of the Eatern and Western Champions meeting in a
Championship game, except when teams tied for the Conference Championship – in
these cases an extra playoff game was required to settle the tie.
#6.
1963 With
an 11-1-2 regular season record, the Bears advanced to the NFL Championship
game, this time against the 11-3 Giants. In a hard fought game played before
45,000+ at Wrigley Field in Chicago, the Bears came out on top 14-10. This was
the Bears 8th NFL Championship in franchise history – they had won
previously in 1921, 1932, 1933, 1940, 1941, 1943 and 1946.
An interesting note: by this time the
infamous ‘C’ logo appeared on the Bears’ helmet. A simple but elegant design,
it has continued to the present day although the color has changed from white
to orange, and the shape has changed slightly.
Of note: Inducted into the Pro Football Hall
of Fame this year were three great Bears - George Halas, Red Grange and Bronko Nagurski.
Halas would go on to coach 4 more years before retiring at the end of the 1967
season – his 40th – with a record of 313-148-32, a remarkable .667
winning percentage. Even in his last year, 1967, Halas posted a winning record
– truly remarkable.
When he retired after the1967 season, Halas
ranked as the NFL's all-time leader in coaching victories with 319 wins
(regular season and playoffs), a record that stood for 25+ years until Don
Shula surpassed him – but keep in mind Shula coached in an era when teams
played more games in a season than Halas.
#7.
1969 We’re
at the height of the ‘Butkus’ era – Dick Butkus was arguably the greatest and
fiercest middle linebacker to play the sport even though at 6’ 3” and 244 lbs
he was hardly the biggest.
This was also the season made famous by the
movie “Brian’s Song” – the true story about the Bears’ Brian Piccolo and Gayle
Sayers. For those of you unfamiliar with the story, hard working running back
Piccolo played the first nine games of the season before being diagnosed with
cancer – he died less than a year later. Piccolo had befriended Gayle Sayers,
the Bears premier running back, and they became roommates and fast friends.
While posting six 500+ seasons throughout the
1960’s, the Bears also managed to post their worst record of all-time, 1-13 in
1969. Of note on this uniform, however, is the fabulously simple but
nonetheless handsome NFL shield/crest on the left shoulder – commemorating the
NFL’s 50th anniversary.
#8.
1977 Reaching
the post season for the first time in 13 seasons on the strength of a 9-5
record, the 1977 Bears fell to the 12-2 Cowboys 37-7 in the first round of the
playoffs. A small consolation was that the Cowboys went on to become NFL
champs, beating Denver 27-10 at the
Superdome in New Orleans.
Note how by 1977 the infamous ‘C’ on the
Bears’ helmet has taken on a splash of color. The orange “C”, complete with
white trim, still stands.
Of note: After playing at Wrigley field for
51 years, 1971 marked the opening of the new home of the Chicago Bears –
magnificent Soldier Field.
#9.
1985 What
a year! Led by Jim McMahon, Richard Dent, Walter Sweetness Payton and 300+lb
William Refrigerator Perry, the Bears roll to a 15-1 regular season record.
They then crush the Giants 21-0 and the Rams 24-0 to advance to the Super Bowl
for the first time.
And in impressive fashion, “Da Bears” end a
22 year drought by winning their first ever Super Bowl by crushing the New
England Patriots 46-10. This was the Bear’s 9th NFL Championship in
franchise history – they had won previously in 1921, 1932, 1933, 1940, 1941,
1943, 1946 and 1963, all before the 1966 “invention” of the Super Bowl.
Note the GSH crest amidst the stripes on the
left sleeve. This is in honor of the late ‘Papa Bear’ George S. Halas, who passed
away on October 31, 1983. An icon & pioneer in the sport of football, Halas
was responsible for countless contributions to the game, just one being
changing the name of the American Professional Football Association to the
National Football League – way back in 1922. He also coached the Bears for 40
seasons from 1920 (when they were known as the Decatur Staleys) to 1967,
racking up an impressive 313-148-32 record, a remarkable .667 winning
percentage. And it’s great to know that the proud Bears’ tradition is carried
on today by Halas’ grandson, Michael McCaskey, who serves as club president and
chief executive officer.
#10.
1994 During
this season, the NFL and its franchises showcased ‘throwback’ jerseys, or
replicas of older uniforms – to help commemorate the NFL’s 75th
anniversary. The 75th anniversary was also commemorated by the
diamond patch on the upper left part of the torso.
The Bears’ jersey showcased here is a tribute
to the Bears mid 20’s uniform. If you’re wondering about the odd stripe pattern,
it’s at least partly explained by the fact that in the 20’s felt striping was
sewn onto many jerseys to help the ball carrier keep a firm grip on the ball.
In this 1994 throwback version, the stripes are simply that – stripes on a
jersey. To help the officials in 1994, one small consolation is the addition of
the uniform number on the upper right chest area. Note how the Bears’ helmet
logo has disappeared – this is because the helmet logo didn’t begin until the
late 50’s/early 60’s.
The ’94 Bears finish 9-7 and squeak into the
playoffs for the sixth time in 10 years, then upset the 10-6 Vikings 35-18 in
the NFC Wild Card Game, then fall 44-15 to the eventual Super Bowl Champion San
Francisco 49ers.
One other note about the uniform: If you look
closely at almost all NFL uniforms worn from 1991 on, you’ll note a small NFL
shield patch on the jersey’s neckline. Most NFL uniforms added the NFL logo
patch to the neck, and to the upper left thigh of the pants, beginning in 1991.
The only major exception to this practice was in 1994 when the teams wore their
throwback uniforms – in these instances, as is the case here, the teams did not
wear the NFL shield patch.
#11.
2000 The
Bears have been quite consistent in their uniform design – see how little
difference there is between the 1977 Bears uniform and this 2000 version. Also
of interest is the actual style of the uniform numbers themselves – dating back
to the 50’s, the Bears have become famous for their “rounded” number style – so
much so that you only need to see their uniform numbers and you know
immediately which team you’re looking at.
Please note the great black pants worn by the
Bears in 2000 – a neat look!
One other note about this uniform: If you
look closely at almost all NFL uniforms worn from 1991 on, you’ll note a small
NFL shield patch on the jersey’s neckline. Most NFL uniforms added the NFL logo
patch to the neck, and to the upper left thigh of the pants, beginning in 1991.
The only major exception to this practice was in 1994 when the teams wore their
throwback uniforms – in these instances the teams did not wear the NFL shield
patch.
The late 90’s and 2000 season weren’t too
kind to the Bears – the 2000 edition of the Bears could only manage 5 wins
against 11 losses.
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The Chicago Bears: “Why Sundays Were
Invented”
TRADITION…
MEMORIES… CLASSY…
Order Yours Today … and Revel in it!
800-786-3022
412-781-3022
E-mail:
greatestscapes@hotmail.com