THE oldest photograph of Argyle / Club Colours | PASOTI
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THE oldest photograph of Argyle / Club Colours

IJN

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Nov 29, 2012
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I thought I'd share this one with you.

A few weeks ago, I posted about this photograph that had been 'found', to cut a long story short it's virtually certain to be a season before the earliest GoS has (Steve has now received an unwatermarked version of this one for his use on his site).

The strip is reversed to the 1899-90 one, which is again of interest to David Moor of Historical Kits website fame, as his is too based on the GoS's picture.

You will note that there are only ten players in the kit and the kit varies from being alternate collar and cuff colours, some have pockets some don't.

We think the man with the daffodil in his lapel at the front is also a player, but that's only conjecture.

Note the cricket pad type shin pads on the players near the ball, made of cork I reckon.

This photo was probably taken at Argyle Football Club's pitch at Marsh Mills, but again that's only a supposition on our part.

So, this is a photo, as I say THE earliest photo of our club from season 1898 - 1899. This was a year before we became Argyle Athletic Club.

So, a Pasoti first!!

CiPLQvg.jpg
 

IJN

Site Owner
Nov 29, 2012
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Please excuse the watermark, this has been added to protect the photo from copyright thieves.

I'd also mention that there will be four large copies of this made in high definition and placed on canvas.

I'm having one, the owner will be having one, PAFC will be given one for their Boardroom and the other will be auctioned on here and all profits will be donated to the Academy.

I hope the prints will be something like 3 foot x 2.5 foot.

Hope you enjoy looking at it as much as I did.
 
Feb 23, 2006
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A good find.I would think gentleman in front row dressed in suit with arms folded is possibly a player. The other gentlemen in suits look management types with hands in pockets or of an age unlikely to be playing football.
 
Apr 25, 2006
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It looks like the players are posed as they would line up on the field ie Goalie at the back, two full-backs, three half-backs and five forwards at the front. This would seem to confirm that the chap in the suit in the front row is, in fact, the team's left winger.
 

Steve Dean

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IJN":1nznxg94 said:
So, this is a photo, as I say THE earliest photo of our club from season 1898 - 1899. This was a year before we became Argyle Athletic Club.
Ian, just a point from a pedant. Argyle Football Club did not become Argyle Athletic Club in a practical sense. Roger Walters describes the events in chapter 4 of the History of Argyle on GoS, and much more about the name in chapters 5 and 6. Argyle FC became part of the Argyle Athletic Club in June 1899 when its president, Clarence Spooner, led a move to form a wider body to encourage broader sports such as athletics, cycling and swimming, and to strengthen the social side of the club. However, AAC was more like a governing body over the following four years and the football team continued to play under the Argyle FC name, until the club became Plymouth Argyle FC in 1903. Other sports under the AAC umbrella omitted 'Athletic' from their names, including Argyle Cricket Club and Argyle Rugby Football Club.
 

Mark Pedlar

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Is that Frank back left?
 

IJN

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Nov 29, 2012
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ealinggreen":2bum6ruy said:
I presume the colour is faded hand tinting?

The colour has been added taking the Ogdens swatch into account.

The original (black and white) quite clearly shows that the green was a lot, lot lighter than any of the greens shown on the Historical Kits.

It was quite obvious by the contrast with the black that Ogdens was nearer to a lighter green than the 1898/01 shown on the Historical Kits site.
 
Jul 29, 2010
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IJN":10trax7u said:
ealinggreen":10trax7u said:
I presume the colour is faded hand tinting?

The colour has been added taking the Ogdens swatch into account.

The original (black and white) quite clearly shows that the green was a lot, lot lighter than any of the greens shown on the Historical Kits.

It was quite obvious by the contrast with the black that Ogdens was nearer to a lighter green than the 1898/01 shown on the Historical Kits site.
Open to interpretation that. Especially if viewed through light green tinted spectacles.

Photos, like card, can fade over time... even if they ever captured a true likeness in the first place, I mean, just how many mega pixels were there in 1898?

If this is the opening salvo in a case to 'define' genuine Argyle green, I am merely returning fire.
 

IJN

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Nov 29, 2012
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No X'y it's not.

Simply trying to deduct what fits where.

Photos can fade - agreed, Ogdens swatch can fade - agreed. But putting what we have together this seems more likely, that's all.

I realise you're a flat earther, but I like to keep my mind open a tad.
 

Steve Dean

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Having seen a copy of the original black and white photo, the contrast between the black side and the green side is striking. No matter how much fading there might have been, the difference between the two does not support a darker shade of green. Whether Ian's shade in this photo is exactly right, we'll never know, but in my opinion, it's not far off.
 

IJN

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Nov 29, 2012
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Steve, do you think Roger would mind if I share his extraordinary comments with the general public?

I'm still bowled over by his specialist knowledge of that era, it's truly incredible.

Anyway, now I'm more convinced than ever about the TRUE colour of club, you can witness the new colour scheme of PASOTI. Hope you and many others appreciate it. :twisted: