From the Archives: Cage ball is introduced by the YWCA

In 1926, a women's team sport, cage ball, arrived at the YWCA in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Times reported in the Feb. 19, 1926, edition, "It looks as though there's going to be a brand-new fad among the womenfolk as a result of the introduction of cage ball at the Young Women's Christian Association, 941 South Figueroa street."

"If the noise made by the gym classes yesterday is any indication, the game is here to stay. Cage ball is similar to volley ball only a ball three feet in diameter and weighing a little more than five pounds is used. The object is to hurl the ball over a seven-foot net with the aim of getting it down on the opponents' floor to score a point."

This version of cage ball didn't last. Currently, cage ball, also called earth ball, is a soccer-type game played with a 48- to 72-inch diameter air-filled ball.

But the 1926 version of cage ball can be seen in these historic portraits. The photographer probably used a tripod and slow shutter speed. In the group photo above, the young woman on the right holding the ball moved her face during the long exposure.

The first two images in this post appeared in the Feb. 19, 1926, Los Angeles Times.