Seeking London League historical photographs

[Djuna Tree]

Hello all, I wonder if anyone is aware of sources of historical photographs of London League competitions? I am working on preserving some historical data about the league (which I do have), and it would be lovely to have photos or clippings to present alongside. I must admit I'm not sure where to begin.

Though not a London League match, I will share what I believe was a picture of a friendly match between Lud-Eagle and the Forces Chess Club in the 1940s:

[Christopher Kreuzer]

This photograph has been discussed here before:

viewtopic.php?f=27&t=11172

Under the topic 'Who was L. Alexander?'.

Leonard Barden (and others) have identified some of the players in the photograph.

The Hulton Archive (owned by Getty) is a great source of such historical chess images.

Some may be from the London League.

What period are you looking to cover?

[Christopher Kreuzer]

I took a quick look again at what is in the Hulton Archive (sometimes new ones are added that have not been scanned previously).

Love this one:

https://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/news- ... /515449198

Engaged in a competition against twenty opponents, Miss Vera Menchik, champion woman chess player of the world, gave a rare exhibition of chess strategy at the Empire Social Chess Club in London. Miss Menchik is shown above in play with her twenty simultaneous partners.

When was the London League founded?

There are plenty of written memories on this forum of the London League, but also potential to connect with many more people who may have photographs. Though to be fair, not many league chess players take photographs at such matches...

[NickFaulks]

The games were clearly at an early stage, where were they going to put captured pieces?

[Djuna Tree]

Many thanks for these links!

The League was founded in 1887 or 1888 so far as we know, and I am looking to cover any periods possible really. Ideally I'm looking for photos strictly of London League competition.

[Kevin Thurlow]

"The games were clearly at an early stage, where were they going to put captured pieces?"

That was a continuing problem...

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Possibly one way into this problem (of finding photographs, where they exist) might be to generate a list of the venues where the London League has played chess. And then search on those venues in suitable archives (along with chess). I am not sure pictures of play in progress at the Golden Lane Community Centre will be popping up that much in searches. But going further back you might find something.

Don't forget that some teams have their own venues, and they might have pictures of matches played at those venues. I am not sure I ever actually took any photographs of the matches I played in at London Deaf Chess Club. Sometimes there are just moments that even those interested in the historical record forget to photograph...

There was, for a few years, a tradition of a big title-deciding clash between Wood Green and another team (e.g. Drunken Knights). I do remember one of those matches possibly being covered by CHESS, so some photographs of that might exist. Someone else will have to supply the years. I think I actually popped along to watch one of those matches (no photographs taken by me).

[Ian Thompson]

Don't forget that some teams have their own venues, and they might have pictures of matches played at those venues.

Could try Mushrooms. Their players, who'd finished their own games, certainly weren't averse to using their phones during matches in the playing room, so might have taken pictures.

[NickFaulks]

Could try Mushrooms. Their players, who'd finished their own games, certainly weren't averse to using their phones during matches in the playing room, so might have taken pictures.

Really? I write as captain of Mushrooms 2 fifty years ago and of Mushrooms 1 now. I know nothing of this.

Can you name names? I don't have any recollection of Mushrooms players being at the spearhead of technology and some of them, even now, still do not have newfangled phones which can take photographs.

[NickFaulks]

"The games were clearly at an early stage, where were they going to put captured pieces?"

That was a continuing problem...

It's a long time ago, but I think I used to put them on the floor, by my feet. At least I didn't have the problem of where to to knock out my pipe.

[John Townsend]

Apart from newspaper articles (which may be the best source of photographs), one possibility which springs to mind is to spend an hour or so happily perusing the catalogue of the National Archives:

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/


Choose suitable search parameters, e.g. chess AND photographs AND London, and see what comes up. Some of these records will have originated through the need of the authors to establish their copyright of the photos. If you find items of interest, you will probably need to visit the record office in question, which will not necessarily be T.N.A..

Two examples of entries containing photographs follow, though not directly connected with the London League:

"Reference: D/S/1/3
Title: The Chess Album: Cabinet photographs of leading amateurs
Nos. 1-10. 1893-1894
Date: 1893-1894
Held by: Hackney Archives, not available at The National Archives
Language: English
Physical description: Each folder contains four photographs"

"Reference: COPY 1/430/713
'Photograph of group of International Ladies Chess Congress at Hotel Cecil, London, June 23rd 1897'.
Copyright owner of work: William Stephen Bradshaw and Sons, 103 Newgate Street, London. Copyright author of work: Arthur Douglas Godbold, 1 Home Park Villas, Hampton Wick, Middlesex. Form completed: 28 June 1897. Registration stamp: 28 June 1897.
Date: 1897 June 28
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
Legal status: Public Record(s)
Language: English"

[Roger de Coverly]

We had a thread about St Bride's which was the London League neutral venue for many years.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=7657

[John Upham]

Here is a gallery of images from the match Drunken Knights vs Wood Green on June 9th 2014


https://johnupham.smugmug.com/Chess/Lon ... Wood-Green

Drunken Knights vs Wood Green on June 9th 2014

jb4_2485_lv.jpg (633.2 KiB) Viewed 290 times

[Ian Thompson]

Could try Mushrooms. Their players, who'd finished their own games, certainly weren't averse to using their phones during matches in the playing room, so might have taken pictures.

Really? I write as captain of Mushrooms 2 fifty years ago and of Mushrooms 1 now. I know nothing of this.

Can you name names? I don't have any recollection of Mushrooms players being at the spearhead of technology and some of them, even now, still do not have newfangled phones which can take photographs.

I refer to an Eastman Cup match where my game was the last to finish and the match result depended on it. It reached a tablebase rook and pawn ending. After it was over I discovered that some Mushrooms players had been looking the position up on their phones to see what the result should be.

I've checked the match card on the ECF LMS and the name I had in mind as the culprit did play, but I won't name him now as I might be wrong. The match card shows that you also played in the match.

[NickFaulks]

I refer to an Eastman Cup match where my game was the last to finish and the match result depended on it. It reached a tablebase rook and pawn ending. After it was over I discovered that some Mushrooms players had been looking the position up on their phones to see what the result should be.

Thanks, interesting. I think I have found the match and if I'm right I do remember this as, from my point of view, a very pleasing evening all round.

I have no recollection of the tablebase issue, but am willing to believe that it happened. Assuming it did, was anything wrong done?

I doubt that I would have done this myself, if only because my main takeaway from my stretch on FIDE's Anti-Cheating Committee was that you can't be too careful. However, players are spectators after their games end and, outside norm events, there are few limits on what spectators can do. I hope you are not suggesting that any malfeasance did take place.