Photographers have long been drawn to sporting events, looking to capture moments of triumph, exhilaration, struggle, passion, and also despair and defeat. The Brooklyn Museum is running an exhibit now which shows the breadth of possibilities for sports photography. The exhibition is called Who Shot Sports: A Photographic History, 1843 to Present. It’s at the Brooklyn Museum until the 8th of January.
One of my favorite photos in the exhibit. It’s a photo by Gerry Cranhan of a 1979 soccer match at the City Ground between Nottingham Forest and Bolton Wanderers.
The images I’ve attached are photos of the exhibit taken by me, many which have my reflection or other blemishes. Photographs are allowed, though a few photos have a no-photography label just for that photo.
Team Canada huddling on the ice during the 2010 Winter Olympics.
The exhibition contains over 200 photos in several rooms. They depict a wide range of sporting topics and many different sports including baseball, cricket, soccer, American football, basketball, etc. Most photos are enlarged enough to view comfortably. The photos are grouped thematically, not by sport (though there is an Olympics section) but by the photo’s relationship with the fan, the photographer or athlete.
NFL star Joe Namath on vacation in Florida.
English cricketer Ian Botham
The exhibition has sections of photos of fans, photos of the field of play, photos of athletes in training, athletes off the field, and other themes. Some pictures show famous athletes like Muhammad Ali, Diego Maradona,, Carl Lewis, the cricketer Ian Botham, etc, but some feature nameless athletes such as impoverished children playing soccer barefoot. Some photos are iconic shots that you probably have seen like Ali standing over Sonny Liston or Babe Ruth facing the crowd but there are many more. Some photos are experimental, such as a photo of Muhammad Ali boxing underwater. Some photos feature unusual angles such as overhead shots.
The Knuckleball, a 1913 photo of a baseball held by pitcher Eddie Cicotte
The exhibition takes at least an hour to appreciate fully. You are required to pay the full suggested admission of $16 for an adult; children 19 or under are free and there are discounts for students and seniors. A ticket to see the museum’s permanent exhibits only is pay as you wish. Other exhibits include a world-class Ancient Egypt collection, a reconstruction of the 17th-century Jans Schenk house, and European and American art collections with pieces by Rodin and Monet. The museum’s normal hours are 11-5, Wednesday-Sunday. On the first Saturday of each moth it’s open until 11 pm and the special exhibition is only $10. Before visiting, study the details more fully on the museum’s website.
The Twickenham Streaker.