The Greatest Team of All—treasures from the Bob Gartland Collection
Geelong Gallery joined the wider community in celebrating the 160th anniversary of the Geelong Football Club’s formation in 1859, by exhibiting a selection of extraordinary, treasured objects and images from the collection of Bob Gartland that told the stories of the Geelong Football Club.
Vice-President of the Geelong Football Club, Bob Gartland, is a life-long supporter of the Geelong Cats and a passionate historian of the Club, and of the lives and careers of its players. Over several decades, Gartland has collected tens of thousands of items of national importance.
The exhibition provided an account of the club through a history of photography, graphic design, and uniform design across a century. Released from Bob Gartland's collection for the first time, the exhibition contained precious 19th and early 20th century original photographs, film and sound recordings, and players’ garments. These treasures presented a rich timeline of the club in an exhibition that was a truly immersive experience of the mighty blue and white from 1859 to 2019.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visitors are warned that the exhibition contained images and names of people who have passed away.