Essendon FC 1909

Essendon footballers are depicted here making their way through the crowd at their home ground in East Melbourne to take on ladder leader, South Melbourne, in round 7 of the 1909 season.

By researching my subject thoroughly, I discover that which is often unclear or obscured in the old photographs and reunite the people, structures and background to their rightful place.
The full colour rendering of the scene breathes life into the historical black & white record of the football past and allows the contemporary viewer the opportunity to to witness the moment as it would have appeared to those who were there.

Please do not hesitate to forward any questions you may have regarding my work

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I first became interested in the early years of the game after receiving a book on football history for my 10th birthday. The black & white photographs displayed in the early chapters showed horse drawn vehicles parked outside grounds that were filled with men and women dressed in what appeared to be their Sunday best.
I was amazed that the team I supported and its rivals were playing at a time before cars were driving on the roads that people used to get to the suburban grounds that I was only just beginning to learn about.

Some time back I set about combining my passions of football and art to create a series of football history artworks. When I felt satisfied that I was producing works that met my vision, I began to compile the pieces that would form the basis of my series.
Each piece is produced in full colour as a way of breathing life into the customary black & white record of the past. The players and their surrounds have been fully researched to portray each scene as historically accurate as possible. The period covered begins in the mid 1880s and runs through until a time just prior to World War I.

My chosen medium is coloured pencil. I love the tone and finish I get from using pencils and feel they allow me to incorporate the kind of detail that I envision for each piece - detail that is often absent in the historic photographic record.