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With advances in technology, cameras have become ubiquitous at sporting events. Today a photographer can capture the instant a competitor crosses the finish line and have the image on the internet within minutes. But in the early years of the 20th century, cameras were bulky, fragile, and expensive. Thus, important events were commemorated with formal portraits after the fact in a professional photographer's studio.

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Hugh J. McCormick
19th Century

Credits:
New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame

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This particular portrait was taken on the occasion of the Fredericton Trojan Hockey Club winning the Fredericton Skating Rink Company Ltd.'s Local 1902-1903 Hockey Championship. Their impressive trophy is draped with ribbons in the center of the image with the team arranged around it dressed to play hockey with ribbons pinned to their chests. The men are arrayed in chairs representing a variety of furniture styles and a large animal rug - presumably bear - on the floor gives a sense of ruggedness. In the background is a large painted backdrop that reminds one of a Victorian living room, with floor to ceiling drapes.

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1902-1903 Fredericton Trojan Hockey Club with Local Championship Trophy
1903

Credits:
New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame

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This later image of the Fredericton Trojan Hockey Club shows many of the same players dressed in a significantly more formal fashion - though they still wear their ribbons and pins proudly. The furniture, backdrop and bear rug remain however, indicating that the same photography studio was used for the second group photo.

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Portrait of Arthur Finnamore with his Fredericton Trojans Hockey Club Teammates
1903

Credits:
New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame

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This image of Frederick William Logan shows him proudly wearing his speed skating ribbons and medals. There are a number of similar photographs in the collection of the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame. Each one is interesting not only for the number of medals, ribbons and trophies on display but for the very simple background in which the subject is posed. In comparison to the larger group photos of the Fredericton Trojan Hockey Club for example, there are few distractions. Rather, the focus is on the athlete and his or her awards.

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Frederick Logan Speed Skating Champion of Canada
1908

Credits:
New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame

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Portraits can provide useful information about the styles, beliefs, and ideas of the period in which they were taken. This beautiful, colourized image of Ethel Babbitt against a pale, soft background shows her serenely admiring some of the many tennis trophies she won throughout her long career. Compared to the photograph of Frederick William Logan, Babbitt's photo is distinctly feminine, as are many of her awards, some of which could actually be used as flower vases. In contrast, Frederick William Logan's photograph is definitely masculine, the pose emanating a sense of strength and virility set against a smoky, grey background.

The information in a portrait can also help us to approximate the date it was taken. As is the case with many sports awards such as trophies and medals, the particular details of an event, such as the athlete's name, the date won, and the sponsoring organization are not included in a photograph nor or they written on the back. Details are forgotten over time as images are passed down to family members or friends. In the case of Ethel Babbitt's photograph, the noticeable absence of the more ornate trophies she won after 1912 allows us to estimate the date of this portrait as 1911 or 1912.

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Portrait of Ethel Babbitt With Selection of Trophies
1900-1940

Credits:
New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame

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In this photograph, Wallace Watling is shown proudly standing next to a pyramid of awards representing the many sports in which he competed. Like the photograph of Frederick William Logan and Andrew "Zan" Miller, one feels a certain sense of pride - but also curiosity and awe at the accumulation of so many awards by one person. The photo is evidence of the value attached to winning, and of the social standing only the athlete can achieve through success in competition.

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Wallace Watling with Trophies and Medals

Credits:
New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame

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This portrait of Saint John native Andrew "Beef" Malcolm's formed part of a larger collage of the Saint John Trojans Basketball team, which was famous in the Maritimes during the 1920s and 30s. The Trojans won nine provincial crowns and seven Maritime Championships between 1923 and 1932. In one team portrait taken in 1921-22 they are audaciously described as "WINNERS OF EVERYTHING IN THE MARITIME." (sic).

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Andrew "Beef" Malcolm
1910-1930

Credits:
New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame