The Stanley Cup playoffs for the National Hockey League (NHL) just concluded; congratulations to the Carolina Hurricanes! One night while watching the playoffs, I became curious about the Stanley Cup itself and started to do some digging. Not only was I able to satisfy my curiosity, but it also led back to the Carlos collections.
The Stanley Cup is named after British politician Frederick Stanley (1841–1908), Lord Stanley of Preston. In 1888, Lord Stanley was appointed as Governor General of Canada by Queen Victoria. His predecessor as Governor General was Henry Charles Keith Petty-Fitzmaurice (1845–1927), 5th Marquess of Lansdowne. The Lansdowne family enjoyed a beautiful collection of antiquities, largely assembled by William Petty Fitzmaurice (1737–1805), 1st Marquess of Lansdowne, from the mid-1760s through the late 1790s. The Carlos Museum is home to one of these antiquities, a Roman marble altar that was reused in antiquity as a wellhead (2006.038.001).
Once Lord Stanley and his family moved to Canada, they became enamored with ice hockey. His sons, Algernon and Arthur, both played ice hockey in amateur leagues in Ottawa. In 1892, the boys convinced their father to donate a trophy to be awarded to the best amateur ice hockey team in Canada. Lord Stanley agreed and purchased a silver bowl from G.R. Collis and Company in London for ten guineas. The trophy, already referred to as the Stanley Cup, was first presented in 1893 to the Montreal Hockey Club. Over the years, North American ice hockey and the Stanley Cup itself grew, and since 1926 the Stanley Cup has been the trophy for the NHL.
Despite his enthusiasm for the sport, Lord Stanley never personally saw the Stanley Cup awarded to an ice hockey team. After the death of his elder brother, Lord Stanley was forced to return to England in July 1893. His successor as Governor General of Canada was John Campbell Hamilton-Gordon (1847–1934), 1st Marquess of Aberdeen. John’s grandfather, George Hamilton-Gordon (1784–1860), 4th Earl of Aberdeen, was a great collector of antiquities and travelled across Europe building his collection. On a trip to Italy in the 1820s, we believe he purchased a Julio-Claudian relief (2004.009.001) that is now on display in the Carlos Classical Court.
You just never know when or how I will be able to tie things in this world back to the Carlos Museum!
