During the 100-year history of Aberdeen Football Club there have been many trophies, mementos and unique items of memorabilia inherited along the way. Unfortunately, the club don't have enough space to display this fascinating collection at the moment and so many fans are unaware of their existence. Each of the items has a story to tell and some are well known while others are a bit more obscure. All, of course, contribute to the rich history of Aberdeen Football Club.
Over time we hope to populate 'The Aberdeen Collection' section with a large selection of items. We have showcased a number of exhibits her to give you an idea of the treasure trove lurking in Pittodrie. We hope readers will find this fascinating and possibly get a further insight into the history of the club. In fact, one of the items on show here - the Changi Internment Camp Trophy - is a bit of a mystery to everyone at the club and if anyone can shed some light into its background we want to hear from you.
The artwork of Paine Proffitt is well known to Dons' fans for his superb cover creations for the award winning Red Matchday programmes. Many of those cover designs came from original paintings - and several of these have been bought by the AFC Heritage Trust to add to The Aberdeen Collection.
The painting that is featured here was used on the cover of the programme for the match against Hibernian at Pittodrie on 27th January 2013 and features a 1940's or 1950's style player but with a little artistic license it shows a shirt badge, which as is well known did not feature during the years following the end of the Second World War. The canvas has been cut to a shape to allow for to be mounted on a box frame, but it came to the Trust flattened out and we had it mounted and framed that way.
As with many items in The Aberdeen Collection, we sought to have the painting on show somewhere in Pittodrie and it found its way into the manager's office where it proudly hung for a couple of years until time came for a redecoration and refit of the office. We would be willing to bet that few football managers round the country would have original artwork on their office walls.
Football art has become tremendously popular in the digital age, with most of it being produced in diverse forms by graphic artists. Original paintings, too, have proliferated thanks to imaginative programme editors and productive artists such as Paine Proffitt. Paine is American by nationality and his artwork is inspired by some of the magnificent sports artwork that has been produced in that nation, particularly in baseball.
The paintings by Paine and others that we have collected at Pittodrie will serve to add colour and atmosphere to the larger collection of artefacts and trophies that is gradually building up in readiness for the day when it can be properly exhibited in our own, purpose built, museum.
about the trust
