Harry Langton Collection
Encyclopedia
The Harry Langton Collection includes cultural memorabilia and sporting items relating to the history of football and forms the core of the National Football Museum
, which is due to reopen in Manchester
, England early in 2012.
It was created by Harry Langton (November 10, 1929 - September 6, 2000), a sports journalist, after he took early retirement in 1972 from the Daily Express
, a British newspaper, to launch Sports Design, a business publishing and selling sporting prints in London
.
With premises in Islington
and the Camden Passage
antique market on his doorstep, Langton soon ventured into dealing in old sporting prints, paintings and antiques. There was little market then for football, his own special interest, and over the last two decades of the century he gradually built up a vast quantity of football art and antiques illustrating the long, and global, history of the game. All codes were included.
In 1981 an early display of this collection was viewed and praised by Sir Stanley Rous, the former Secretary of the Football Association, which encouraged further collecting with the idea of making it available to a wider public.
Already it was attracting attention abroad. Some exhibits traveled to Germany
for the opening of a Munich
bank. Others appeared as black and white photographs at ‘Fussball in der Vitrine’ at the Galerie Littmann in Baumleingasse Basle in May 1982. In the spring of 1987 after many fruitless applications to municipal authorities for exhibition space, Sports Design presented ‘Football Art – the Langton Collection’ at the Wingfield Sporting Gallery in south-west London.
Serious recognition arrived when the Tyne and Wear
Museums Service joined the Langton Collection with the ‘Soccer in Tyne and Wear 1879-1988 Exhibition’ in Newcastle
. This ran for two months before moving to Sunderland in January 1989. There it was viewed by an Italian promoter who proposed taking it to Italy
for the 1990 Football World Cup. Transported to Rome
it was ceremoniously opened at the Spazio Peroni by Silvio Berlusconi
, one of whose companies, Gruppo Fininvest, was the major sponsor, and drew visitors throughout the tournament.
The following year, to mark the 1991 Rugby World Cup
, an exhibition of specifically rugby and old (pre soccer) football art and objects was hosted by the auctioneers Christies at their South Kensington
rooms. (The Rugby Football Union
later bought the specifically rugby items for their Twickenham
museum). The entire collection crossed the Atlantic in 1994 for the next World Cup
. Organised by an American company, the SPI Group, it was displayed at Sotheby's
New York
.
By this time problems of moving and preserving the large collection prompted an agreement with SPI that if a suitable buyer could be found it was for sale . Thus the Langton collection eventually became the Fifa
Museum Collection in 1996. With support from the Heritage Lottery Fund
and the efforts of Bryan Gray, the chairman of Preston North End F.C.
it formed the major part of the National Football Museum, opened in Deepdale
Preston in June 2001.
After the sale of the main collection to Fifa, Langton continued to acquire works in his capacity as consultant. These pieces were designed to fill gaps and not to be comprehensive in themselves.
Although Langton was closely involved with the Preston museum, he died in September 2000 before it opened.
In 2006, his widow, Ann Langton, compiled a collection of poetry relating to football, called Saved, A Rare Anthology of Football from Homer to Gazza, which was launched at the National Football Museum's Hall of Fame Awards in Liverpool.
Financial problems led to a decision to relocate the National Football Museum to the Urbis
building in Manchester , where it is due to reopen in early 2012.
National Football Museum
The National Football Museum was a museum in Preston, Lancashire, England founded to preserve, conserve and interpret several important collections of association football memorabilia. It was built outside Deepdale, which as of 2010 is the oldest continuously used football league ground in the world...
, which is due to reopen in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, England early in 2012.
It was created by Harry Langton (November 10, 1929 - September 6, 2000), a sports journalist, after he took early retirement in 1972 from the Daily Express
Daily Express
The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 and was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers...
, a British newspaper, to launch Sports Design, a business publishing and selling sporting prints in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
With premises in Islington
Islington
Islington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...
and the Camden Passage
Camden Passage
Camden Passage is a pedestrian passage off Upper Street in the London Borough of Islington. The passage is known for its many antiques shops, and hosts an antique market on Wednesdays and Saturday mornings...
antique market on his doorstep, Langton soon ventured into dealing in old sporting prints, paintings and antiques. There was little market then for football, his own special interest, and over the last two decades of the century he gradually built up a vast quantity of football art and antiques illustrating the long, and global, history of the game. All codes were included.
In 1981 an early display of this collection was viewed and praised by Sir Stanley Rous, the former Secretary of the Football Association, which encouraged further collecting with the idea of making it available to a wider public.
Already it was attracting attention abroad. Some exhibits traveled to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
for the opening of a Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
bank. Others appeared as black and white photographs at ‘Fussball in der Vitrine’ at the Galerie Littmann in Baumleingasse Basle in May 1982. In the spring of 1987 after many fruitless applications to municipal authorities for exhibition space, Sports Design presented ‘Football Art – the Langton Collection’ at the Wingfield Sporting Gallery in south-west London.
Serious recognition arrived when the Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear is a metropolitan county in north east England around the mouths of the Rivers Tyne and Wear. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972...
Museums Service joined the Langton Collection with the ‘Soccer in Tyne and Wear 1879-1988 Exhibition’ in Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
. This ran for two months before moving to Sunderland in January 1989. There it was viewed by an Italian promoter who proposed taking it to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
for the 1990 Football World Cup. Transported to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
it was ceremoniously opened at the Spazio Peroni by Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi
Silvio Berlusconi , also known as Il Cavaliere – from knighthood to the Order of Merit for Labour which he received in 1977 – is an Italian politician and businessman who served three terms as Prime Minister of Italy, from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006, and 2008 to 2011. Berlusconi is also the...
, one of whose companies, Gruppo Fininvest, was the major sponsor, and drew visitors throughout the tournament.
The following year, to mark the 1991 Rugby World Cup
1991 Rugby World Cup
The 1991 Rugby World Cup was the second edition of the Rugby World Cup, and was jointly hosted by England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and France; at that time, the five European countries that participated in the Five Nations Championship making it the first Rugby World Cup to be staged in the...
, an exhibition of specifically rugby and old (pre soccer) football art and objects was hosted by the auctioneers Christies at their South Kensington
South Kensington
South Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London. It is a built-up area located 2.4 miles west south-west of Charing Cross....
rooms. (The Rugby Football Union
Rugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871 as the governing body for the sport of rugby union, and performed as the international governing body prior to the formation of the International Rugby Board in 1886...
later bought the specifically rugby items for their Twickenham
Twickenham
Twickenham is a large suburban town southwest of central London. It is the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan...
museum). The entire collection crossed the Atlantic in 1994 for the next World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
. Organised by an American company, the SPI Group, it was displayed at Sotheby's
Sotheby's
Sotheby's is the world's fourth oldest auction house in continuous operation.-History:The oldest auction house in operation is the Stockholms Auktionsverk founded in 1674, the second oldest is Göteborgs Auktionsverk founded in 1681 and third oldest being founded in 1731, all Swedish...
New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
By this time problems of moving and preserving the large collection prompted an agreement with SPI that if a suitable buyer could be found it was for sale . Thus the Langton collection eventually became the Fifa
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
Museum Collection in 1996. With support from the Heritage Lottery Fund
Heritage Lottery Fund
The Heritage Lottery Fund is a fund established in the United Kingdom under the National Lottery etc. Act 1993. The Fund opened for applications in 1994. It uses money raised through the National Lottery to transform and sustain the UK’s heritage...
and the efforts of Bryan Gray, the chairman of Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
it formed the major part of the National Football Museum, opened in Deepdale
Deepdale
Deepdale is a stadium in the Deepdale area of Preston, England, the home of Preston North End F.C. and, up to 2010, England's National Football Museum. Preston North End are one of the founder members of the Football League.- History :...
Preston in June 2001.
After the sale of the main collection to Fifa, Langton continued to acquire works in his capacity as consultant. These pieces were designed to fill gaps and not to be comprehensive in themselves.
Although Langton was closely involved with the Preston museum, he died in September 2000 before it opened.
In 2006, his widow, Ann Langton, compiled a collection of poetry relating to football, called Saved, A Rare Anthology of Football from Homer to Gazza, which was launched at the National Football Museum's Hall of Fame Awards in Liverpool.
Financial problems led to a decision to relocate the National Football Museum to the Urbis
Urbis
Urbis is an exhibition centre located in Manchester, England. From 2002 to 2010, the centre hosted changing exhibits on popular culture topics including urban living, art, music, fashion, photography and videogames alongside talks, gigs and special events....
building in Manchester , where it is due to reopen in early 2012.