Croquet fans can rejoice now that the Arkley Croquet Collection has been made available online.
Hundreds of paintings, illustrations, photographs and postcards dating from the 1850’s to the 1950’s are now easily accessible via the Web. More than 1,400 items in the collection have been digitized thus far, with a second phase of digitization planned for early 2014.
The images show a rise in the popularity of croquet and offer a glimpse into one of the first recreational sports that men and women played together. From fine art such as Édouard Manet to cartoons like Uncle Wiggily, the collection shows a rise in the popularity of croquet in the 19th and 20th centuries.
The collection was donated by Tremaine Arkley, a former U.S. National Croquet Team member and avid croquet fan. Funding from Tremaine and Gail Arkley provided the necessary support to digitize the majority of the collection. The remaining 300 items will be digitized, completing the project in 2014. The Arkley family also donated a substantial children’s literature collection to UBC Library’s Rare Books and Special Collections.
Visit digitalcollections.library.ubc.ca to start exploring.
Tremaine was a participant in the first Canadian Open Croquet Championships (CroqCan) held at Harbourfront in Toronto in 1988.
He hit his red croquet ball with such force that it landed in Lake Ontario, never to be seen again.
Tremaine subsequently created the Red Ball Trophy, which is awarded to the “most unusual shot” at the annual CroqCans.
The trophy is still active and and currently on display at the Toronto Cricket Skating and Curling Club.
Would you like a digital picture of the trophy?
regards,
Georg Dej
Director, Croquet Canada
416-551-4548
Hi Georg,
This sounds great! You can email the photo to Library Communications at library.communications@ubc.ca.
Thanks,
Jessica