Representing the Sporting Past in Museums and Halls of Fame

'An important book that redraws the map by which we understand the variety of sporting museums, halls of fame and exhibitions. The authors inspire and challenge all sports historians to engage more closely with the tangible evidence of sport’s material culture, and suggest new pathways for future research in this field.' – Margaret Birtley, National Sports Museum, Melbourne

'Sport museums are a special breed. Sport is by nature a competitive and dynamic cultural phenomenon, much less concerned with the past than with the present or the near future. Nevertheless, looking backwards nostalgically to and reminiscing about the glory days of famous athletes or successful clubs is part of the sports lore, both in terms of material and immaterial culture. This book depicts the variegated landscape of sport museums, ranging from local halls or walls of fame to internationally renowned historical collections. Phillips and his co-editors confront sport historians with these ‘lieus de mémoire’, where the sporting past is not ‘deep-frozen’ for further conservation, but often uncritically glorified and sanctified. ‘The museum is the message’, but which message? … that’s the question.' – Roland Renson, Prof. em. K.U.Leuven, chairperson Sportimonium, Belgium