Homage to Sportswomen of the Past

November 18, 2010 9:44 AM

Vintage photos of women in sport. "At the turn of the last century women in the western world were finding a voice, both collectively and individually. As the Victorian era lapsed in to memory and the Edwardian Era commenced many women chose to pursue sports."

Some historical milestones of female athletes during that period.

posted by gman (14 comments total)

Thank you for this!
posted by jokeefe at 9:59 AM on November 18, 2010

The social website fail of it with the hilarious "Image Credit: Flickr User George Eastman" actually made me laugh out loud.
posted by Threeway Handshake at 10:00 AM on November 18, 2010 [1 favorite]

Thanks for posting this. Awesome photos!
posted by Sal and Richard at 10:03 AM on November 18, 2010

This photo is amazing... why can't bowling alleys still have turned wood ball returns and gothic candelabras?
posted by usonian at 10:08 AM on November 18, 2010 [1 favorite]

I wonder if 75 years from now people will look at the beach volleyball from this year and think "holy crap how did they get them to put that on in public". Because that is what I think when I see these photos.
posted by Felex at 10:11 AM on November 18, 2010

In 1905 she competed at Wimbledon (winning the Women's title). Unable to compete in her normal tennis attire she rolled up her sleeves - and showed her bare elbows to the world. Not only that, she wore a skirt that was so high it revealed her ankles, shocking the British audience and giving them something to talk about over their tea and cucumber sandwiches.

Needs a NSFW tag.

Great post.
posted by Joe Beese at 10:19 AM on November 18, 2010

What're they supposed to wear on the beach? Wool sweaters and pantaloons?
posted by cmoj at 10:21 AM on November 18, 2010

I'd actually love to get Fraulein Kussin's boxing dress (!) - it looks comfy.
posted by epersonae at 10:25 AM on November 18, 2010

From the second link, "1920 - The Dick-Kerr's Ladies Professional Soccer Team tours the US, outscoring their male opponents 35-34 with a 3-3-2 record."

The Dick, Kerr Ladies Football Club deserves at least a little bit more recognition than that. Actually, I'm kinda surprised they haven't already been the subject of an FPP.

Also, I really thing it would be nice to have croquet as an Olympic sport.
posted by nickmark at 10:37 AM on November 18, 2010

These images are pretty nifty. I like the boxers.
posted by sandraregina at 10:53 AM on November 18, 2010

Fascinating, thanks.
posted by rodgerd at 11:50 AM on November 18, 2010

There is a retro-sports movement at the moment, a backlash to modern equipment, uniform and aesthetic. Fixie, randonneur and constructeur bicycles with tweed outfits is the most visible edge of this trend, but there are leagues for players who use wooden rackets only, and more esoterically, golf using woods that are made of wood, and irons that are made of iron. There's also a movement to return to old-fashioned backpacking and canoeing equipment, focusing on wool, canvas and leather rather than ultra-light materials, and an emphasis on making camp rather than covering ground.

These pics are a great motivator to get involved - it looks like a lot more fun than the spandex-grunting that passes for sport these days.
posted by Slap*Happy at 12:12 PM on November 18, 2010

Great post—thanks!
posted by languagehat at 2:24 PM on November 18, 2010

These are very cool. My alma mater has some fun pictures in a similar vein.
posted by QIbHom at 8:36 AM on November 19, 2010