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An Introduction to Charles Boyles
Charles Boyles SLV2008.122/451 (Cropped) Source: State Library of Victoria Photographic Collection
The website is centred around the photos of Charles Boyles, a Melbourne-based photographer. Boyles primarily took photos of Australian Rules Football teams and players. He appears to have started this football work in the late twenties. He continued through the 1930's, the years of the Second World War, and then right up to his final photos in the early sixties. Unlike most commercial photographers, Charles Boyles did not wait for customers to come to him. Boyles set up his camera on training nights, and on game days took posed team photos after the players had run onto the ground. These were sold directly to the clubs, players and general public. On Saturdays, at the games, the photographer's son Harley Boyles (and others) would take a satchel of mixed photos and sell them throughout the game. Unlike newspaper photos, therefore, a Boyles photo was something you could own, take home, and treasure. There are no action shots or photos of games in progress. Boyles specialised in team photos and player portraits, with the players looking directly to camera. Today these photos are used by clubs, by family historians, and by those interested in football history. They often appear uncredited in football history books. Boyles did not restrict himself to the leading football competition of his era, the Victorian Football League. During his working life he attended many different competitions. He covered the VFA, Wartime Services matches, the various Victorian workplace competitions, the Sunday leagues, and other competitions. Learn More about the Life of Charles Boyles
Read Ken's article on the methods, motives and life of Charles Boyles. The article includes notes from an extensive interview with Harley Boyles about his father. See Charles Edward Boyles: From Tripod to Website. |
Website Aims and Objectives
This website contains work by two independent researchers, Ken Mansell and Michael Riley. Our objective is to share our own passion for history and provide a friendly resource for family historians, football buffs and others who have an interest in the Charles Boyles photos and more generally in football photography from the 1920's to 1960's.A Football History Website
This site has grown to cover more than just football photos. There is an amazing amount to explore. You can start with articles, player pages, ground pages, team and league pages as well as information on players careers outside football.All Football Photographers Not Just Charles Boyles Photos
This site contains photos from many of Boyles's contemporaries. These contrast Boyles's style, and add to an understanding of sport, photography, and the football of the time.Football Outside the VFL
Charles Boyles took photos of VFL teams, but also took photos of VFA teams, Workplace Teams and teams in Junior Leagues. Also, for many players the VFL was just a small part of their footballing story. This site attempts to build a picture of the football world during Boyle's working period. This world is worth explored through articles and the pages thoughout the website. Sources of Images on this Website
We are not associated with any library or institution. We have received permission from a variety of people and institutions to include their images on this particular website. Each photo is labelled as to it's source. Please contact the relevant source for permission to reproduce any images. The appearance of an image on this website does not mean that it is public domain. Although many (not all) photos are out of copyright, many images are available here under 'Terms of Use' agreements with the relevant organisation. We credit the photographer and the photo source wherever possible, |
Recent Articles
Statistician extraordinaire 1956-59 (Eat your heart out Ted Hopkins!)- Published At: 2017-02-13 18:03 - (1311 Reads)Sit yourself down in a cosy chair in front of the fire and transport yourself back to 1957 and experience the joys of an 11-year-old Geelong supporter and his statistical exercise book. Ted Hopkins never did it like this.
James ‘Jimmy ’ Freake - Fitzroy’s Famous Forward- Published At: 2017-02-06 18:18 - (1031 Reads)It is more than 100 years ago since James* ( better known as ‘Jimmy’ ) Freake pulled on a Fitzroy guernsey to play his first VFL game against South Melbourne at the Lake Oval in 1912. *Note: His name is given as ‘Jimmy’ in the AFL records and so it shall be for the purposes of this story.
Geelong - Season 1956- Published At: 2017-01-21 21:28 - (1133 Reads)This article provides a detailed examination of Geelong Football Club’s 1956 season.
Francis Doherty - you beauty!!- Published At: 2016-10-29 18:09 - (1379 Reads)Francis Doherty never soared like Alex Jesaulenko to take a breath-taking mark in a VFL Grand Final but he has managed to produce something equally exciting – the most breath-taking book about football memorabilia in the history of the game.
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Random Articles
Aerial Photos of Football Grounds- Published At: 2013-06-18 17:29 - (12652 Reads)Oblique Aerial Photography may sound obscure, but you try taking a 1920's aeroplane up in the sky - and take photos of football grounds.
The Airspy Collection of Aerial Photos at the State Library of Victoria is a surprising resource for football photos from the 1920's and 1930's. Football Humour- Published At: 2013-01-28 23:01 - (3313 Reads)While researching information for this website I often come across odd football stories. The stories vary from funny, to odd, to 'what the..?' moments.
I have seen many variations on a theme. There are many stories of stolen goal posts or of kicking a ball into a moving train. I have tried to include a list that is not repetative. Raymond Morris - National Museum of Australia- Published At: 2014-03-13 19:25 - (4440 Reads)Raymond Morris is a New Zealand artist and photographer who visited Australia in the late 1950's. We are delighted to have received permission to post some of his photos here. For more of Raymond's fine photos, please have a look at the National Museum of Australia's flicker page. This contains a wonderful collection of 226 of Morris’s photos taken during his Australian travels.
1933 - Round 5 St Kilda v North Melbourne - 15 men defeat 18- Published At: 2013-01-14 03:30 - (5260 Reads)St Kilda scored the most meritorious victory by any league side for some years. It was not so much the brilliance of the football, but rather the dogged determination and real Aussie fighting spirit that enabled them to see it out and win a glorious victory with only 15 men.- Football Record - Round 6 (June 5) 1933 p12
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Historical Articles (Reprinted)
Great Football Dramas No. 12. Prahran's Tragic Failure to Win Association Premiership of 1909
- Published At: 2016-10-29 12:06 - (1206 Reads)In this, the twelfth of a series of football dramas, is described Prahran's great 1909 team, and its tragic failure to win the Association premiership.
Great Football Dramas—No.17 Carnival Team All Got Goals Helped Other Side Too
- Published At: 2016-10-22 11:37 - (1249 Reads)Packed with hilarious incidents, it stand as the most comical football “match” that ever convulsed a crowd. Such was that burlesque, Victoria v. Queensland, at the Hobart Carnival in 1924.
Forty Years of Football
- Published At: 2016-10-14 07:19 - (1158 Reads)Jack Worrall, (Fitzroy player, Carlton/Essendon Coach), Test Cricketer and journalist, looks back at forty years of football. The original articles from 1923-24 appear over a number of weeks. (Formatting and sub-headings have been added to make to article easier to read.)
League Footballers of 1950 – The Men In The Centre
- Published At: 2016-09-04 09:15 - (1537 Reads)HAPPY is the football club with a good centre man. He can constantly put his team into attack. He can also be a defender. When the ball is bounced he often acts as a rover, and, as he and his immediate opponent stand on either side of the rucks, there are frequently openings in those periods. When the play moves on the two centre men watch each other closely, and frequently engage in hotly contested duels.
Examples of Boyles Photos
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Kew Sub Districts 1939 - State Library of Victoria Photographic Collection
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North West Suburbs Police Team circa 1935 - State Library of Victoria Photographic Collection
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Carlton Seconds, 1956 - State Library of Victoria Photographic Collection
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Bob Wilkie - St Kilda - State Library of Victoria Photographic Collection
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