Kendall's 1920s Photo Albums
According to Leah Grandy, “Harness racing in the Maritimes and New England in the nineteeth century demonstrated the social and economic cohesion of the region and helped to solidify group and personal identities” (2013, 95). When Portland, Maine photographer Guy Kendall began his career as a race track photographer, “The sport of harness racing…exemplified the ideals of progress, speed, and efficiency…” (2013 Grandy, p. 97).
Kendall’s growth as a race track photographer can be appreciated as one compares his early remote, static documentary photos of horses and drivers to the images he captured in the 1930s. As he became a regular on the race circuit, it is possible to see his work become more fluid and natural as he stated to capture the energy and excitement of the horses in action.
In this decade, as throughout this collection, the viewer can shadow Kendall’s travels through the race track score cards preserved in his albums. By clicking on the event titles one may read a brief abstract describing the race event(s). At the bottom of each page, a preview of each scanned score card is available to the user. By following the linked names of race horses, one may view the photographs taken of those animals by Kendall, most often at the event(s) noted on the score cards and programs.
Source
Grandy, Leah. (2013). “Yankees” and “Bluenosers” at the Races: Harness Racing, Group Identity, and the Creation of a Maine-New Brunswick Sporting Region, 1870-1930. Maine History, 47(1), 95-110.
