To celebrate Great Britain hosting the summer Olympic Games for the third time, we present a selection of historical ‘keep fit’ and sporting images from our eclectic collections.
Our photographs below show a Victorian lady elegantly dressed for cycling, while an Edwardian demonstrates ’ideal’ exercises. Other photographs from the early 20th century show how some sports such as ice skating and weightlifting are virtually unchanged.
In the 1948 London Olympics, Britain excelled at weightlifting: Julian Creus won the silver medal Bantam weight, and James Halliday the bronze lightweight. Explore our Olympic records to find out more about previous Games.
Children taking part in activities such as leapfrog show an early enthusiasm for sports. Public information posters in the 1950s and 1960s encouraged youngsters to swim and advised the population on healthy eating to promote physical strength.
With so many visitors expected for London 2012, the Keep Britain Tidy campaign from the 1960s is still relevant today as we aim to maintain the beauty of our rural and urban spaces.
In the words of our Second World War poster below we wish Team GB well and ’Go To It!’ to achieve Olympic success.
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Lady on a bicycle, 1897
/images/imagelibrary/showcase/keep-fit-britain/copy1-428-(302)-lady-on-bicycle-1897.jpgCatalogue reference: COPY 1/428 (302)
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Ideal physical culture exercises, 1911
/images/imagelibrary/showcase/keep-fit-britain/copy1-553-f103-104-ideal-physical-culture-exercises-1911.jpgCatalogue reference: COPY 1/553 f103 104
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Ideal physical culture exercises, 1911
/images/imagelibrary/showcase/keep-fit-britain/copy1-553-f107-108-ideal-physical-culture-exercises-1911.jpgCatalogue reference: COPY 1/553 f107 108
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Bodybuilding foods, 1952-1963
/images/imagelibrary/showcase/keep-fit-britain/inf13-286-(4)-bodybuilding-foods-1952-1963.jpgCatalogue reference: INF 13/286 (4)
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Weightlifter with barbell, 1907
/images/imagelibrary/showcase/keep-fit-britain/copy1-507-(99)-weightlifter-with-barbell-1907.jpgCatalogue reference: COPY 1/507 (99)
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Britain goes ahead exhibition, 1948
/images/imagelibrary/showcase/keep-fit-britain/inf13-224-(1)-britain-goes-ahead-exhibition-1948.jpgCatalogue reference: INF 13/224 (1)
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Henning Grenander from Sweden skates a toe spin, Switzerland 1902
/images/imagelibrary/showcase/keep-fit-britain/copy1-458-henning-grenander-sweden-skates-a-toe-spin-switzerland-1902.jpgCatalogue reference: COPY 1/458
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Learn to swim poster, 1960s
/images/imagelibrary/showcase/keep-fit-britain/ext1-123-pt2-(19)-(inf13-233)-learn-to-swim-poster-1960s.jpgCatalogue reference: EXT 1/123 pt2 (19) (INF 13/233)
-(inf13-233)-learn-to-swim-poster-1960s.jpg)
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Leapfrog, 1909
/images/imagelibrary/showcase/keep-fit-britain/copy1-534-leapfrog-1909.jpgCatalogue reference: COPY 1/534
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High jump, Tom Browne, 1904
/images/imagelibrary/showcase/keep-fit-britain/copy1-216-(119b)-high-jump-tom-browne-1904.jpgCatalogue reference: COPY 1/216 (119b)
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Keep Britain Tidy, campaign poster c.1960s
/images/imagelibrary/showcase/keep-fit-britain/ext1-121-keep-britain-tidy-campaign-poster-c1960s-b.jpgCatalogue reference: EXT 1/121
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Three words to the whole nation - Go To It, Second World War poster
/images/imagelibrary/showcase/keep-fit-britain/inf13-213-(25)-three-words-to-the-whole-nation--go-to-it-wwII-poster.jpgCatalogue reference: INF 13/213 (25)
-three-words-to-the-whole-nation--go-to-it-wwII-poster.jpg)
This is just a selection. Contact licensing@nationalarchives.gov.uk for more image solutions.
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-britain-goes-ahead-exhibition-1948.jpg)
-(inf13-233)-learn-to-swim-poster-1960s.jpg)
-high-jump-tom-browne-1904.jpg)
-three-words-to-the-whole-nation--go-to-it-wwII-poster.jpg)
