Category Archives: sport

Here’s the Earliest Known Image of Women’s Hockey, ca. 1890

This 1890 photograph is the oldest-known picture of women playing hockey, taken at Rideau Hall in Ottawa. Isobel Stanley, daughter of Lord Stanley, is seen wearing white. Lord Stanley of Preston’s daughter, Lady Isobel Stanley, was a pioneer in the women’s game and was one of the first females to be photographed using puck andContinue reading “Here’s the Earliest Known Image of Women’s Hockey, ca. 1890”

Queen of Muscle Beach: 20 Vintage Portraits of Abbye “Pudgy” Stockton From the 1940s

Abbye Eville, more commonly known around the world as Pudgy Stockton, was born August 11, 1917 in Santa Monica, California. During her childhood she acquired the nickname, “Pudgy” and it stuck with her; little did she know it was a name soon to be known all around the world. After graduating high school, she startedContinue reading “Queen of Muscle Beach: 20 Vintage Portraits of Abbye “Pudgy” Stockton From the 1940s”

Vintage Photographs Show German Women Practicing Swedish Gymnastics in Hamburg From the Early 20th Century

These photographs were taken between 1902 and 1910 by Heinrich Hamann in Hamburg, Germany. As a keen gymnast, Hamann portrayed many athletes in action. Here, German women exercising Swedish Gymnastics in a sports hall and on the Heiligengeistfeld (German: “field of the Holy Spirit”) in Hamburg’s St. Pauli quarter. During the 19th century, Swedish GymnasticsContinue reading “Vintage Photographs Show German Women Practicing Swedish Gymnastics in Hamburg From the Early 20th Century”

In the 1912 Olympics, Jim Thorpe, a Native American, Won Two Gold Medals With Shoes Someone Had Thrown in the Trash

This is Jim Thorpe (May 22 or 28, 1887 – March 28, 1953). He was the first Native American to win a gold medal for the United States in the Olympics. Considered one of the most versatile athletes of modern sports, he won two Olympic gold medals in the 1912 Summer Olympics. Look closely atContinue reading “In the 1912 Olympics, Jim Thorpe, a Native American, Won Two Gold Medals With Shoes Someone Had Thrown in the Trash”

20 Amazing Vintage Photos Showing the Spirit of Early 20th Century Athletics

acques Henri Lartigue was fascinated by the ascent of sport in the early 20th century as a fashionable pastime for the middle classes, and was himself a keen sportsman. Lartigue’s entirely unposed photographs, presented album-style in this gorgeous, luxurious and delightful volume, capture both the joyous exuberance of amateur sports––racing, skiing, tennis, gymnastics, hang gliding––andContinue reading “20 Amazing Vintage Photos Showing the Spirit of Early 20th Century Athletics”

41 Amazing Photographs of Surfing During the 1970s

Growing up in La Jolla , California, Jeff Divine began taking pictures of his fellow surfers in his hometown during the 1960s and got to know the original alternative sport before the mainstream media blew it up into the the commercial kingdom it has now come to be. His work took him to a staffContinue reading “41 Amazing Photographs of Surfing During the 1970s”

26 Wonderful Photos of Tennis Star Steffi Graf in the Late 1980s and 1990s

Steffi Graf, byname of Stephanie Maria Graf is a German former professional tennis player who dominated women’s tennis in the late 1980s and ’90s. Graf began playing tennis with the encouragement of her father, who became her coach. At age 13 she became the second youngest player ever to earn an international ranking. In 1987Continue reading “26 Wonderful Photos of Tennis Star Steffi Graf in the Late 1980s and 1990s”

Amazing Photos Showing SoCal’s Skate, Beach and Punk Scenes From the Late 1960s to the Early 1980s

Spot is a man of many talents. Besides serving as the album producer and sound engineer for punk bands like the Misfits and Black Flag, the photographer, who goes only by Spot, also snapped a treasure trove of photos that perfectly captured SoCal beach and punk rock life during the late 1960s to the earlyContinue reading “Amazing Photos Showing SoCal’s Skate, Beach and Punk Scenes From the Late 1960s to the Early 1980s”

16 Wonderful Photos From the 1959 A.A.U Swimming and Diving Championships in Palm Beach, Florida

The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is an amateur sports organization based in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs. It claims to have over 670,000 participants and over 100,000 volunteers. The AAU was founded in 1888 by William BuckinghamContinue reading “16 Wonderful Photos From the 1959 A.A.U Swimming and Diving Championships in Palm Beach, Florida”