There’s A Bunch of Cool UC Stuff In The Getty Archives

I spent a long time rooting around for Bearcats stuff in the Getty Images archives. Here are my findings.

I love Bearcats history and old UC photographs. There aren’t many available online, so sometimes it feels like I’ve seen everything. However, the Getty Images archive is a treasure trove of UC history. I spent some time looking through their oldest offerings and grabbed some samples of cool and historically significant Bearcats shots.

Left: Cincinnati professor Dr. Albert Sabin is famous for having creating the oral polio vaccine. Here he is sitting at his desk in his laboratory at UC.

Right: I believe this is from a series of photos taken of Oscar Robertson before his first varsity season in 1957. This is notable because he’s wearing #23, not the #12 he became famous for in Clifton that hangs on the wall of The Shoe today.

Left: UC archery club member Alice Kern poses against a target.

Right: A long time ago, UC students used to do something called Flag Rush. Think of it as giant game of caputure the flag that pitted the freshman against the sophomores. It started in the 1870s before ending around WW1. The game would sometimes last for days. Here, in 1908, is Flag Rush. This picture is taken on Carson Field (where Nippert now sits) and you can see the original McMicken Hall looming behind the fence in the background. For its age, the quality is phenomeal.

Left: 1916 photo of a student in the Pi Kappa Alpha house at UC.

Right: 1921 photo of girls in Greek costumes competing in the “Grecian Games” to benefit the UC athletic fund.

Left: President Roosevelt speaking in the rain at Nippert Stadium, October 1936.

Right: 18-year-old UC pitcher Sandy Koufax signs with the Brooklyn Dodgers just before Christmas 1954.

Left: Oscar Robertson after a workout at UC, 1958.

Right: Oscar Robertson vs Iowa at Madison Square Garden for LIFE Magazine. He scored 50 points.

Left: Oscar Robertson bent over in pain after getting poked in the eye in a game against Iowa.

Right: Oscar Robertson reads a newspaper while in NYC for a holiday tournament at Madison Square Garden.

Left: Oscar Robertson shakes hands with George Smith as his jersey is retired.

Right: UC’s Paul Hogue faces off against Ohio State’s Jerry Lucas as the Bearcats win the 1961 NCAA Championship.

Left: Bearcats vs North Texas, November 1968. This was the last season UC’s wore blank helmets for each game. (They also wore blank red helmets in 1967, but without the white stripe.)

Right: UC professor Neil Armstrong steps out of his office for his first day as professor, 1971.

Bearcat quarterback legend Greg Cook faces the Ohio Bobcats at Nippert Stadium, November 1968.

Left: Bearcat basketball legend Pat Cummings takes one to the hoop against Eastern Kentucky at Riverfront Coliseum, circa 1978.

Right: Nick Van Exel drives to the basket against Michigan State in the second round of the 1992 NCAA Tournament in Dayton.

Nick Van Exel vs Michigan, 1992 Final Four.

Left: Penn State’s Richie Anderson flies into the endzone in a 1992 game at Nippert Stadium.

Right: President Bill Clinton reacts to a call during UC’s win over the Arkansas Razorbacks, December 1995.

Nick Van Exel runs the point, hoists a shot at Fifth Third Arena.

Left: Melvin Levett, February 1996.

Right: Danny Fortson, February 1996.

Left: Melvin Levett rises for a huge block, February 1996.

Right: Current UConn coach Kevin Ollie runs the court in a game against the Bearcats, March 1995.

Kenyon Martin reaches for a rebound and the Bearcats hoist a trophy for knocking off #1 Duke in the 1998 Great Alaska Shootout.

Left: Kenyon Martin sits injured on the bench during the 2000 NCAA Tournament.

Right: Kenyon Martin NBA Draft photo.

Left: Tony Bobbitt soars for a dunk against Oregon, December 2002.

Right: Bob Huggins argues with an official during what would be his final game with the Bearcats, March 2005.