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Winter Sports in the Historic New England Collection

Dec 12, 2024

Although New Englanders embrace all seasons, we hold a special place for winter. We are a hardy bunch, and we don’t let cold, ice, or snow stand in our way of enjoying what nature offers. As you look forward to your own winter activities, take a moment to explore some of our favorite snowy images from the Historic New England Library and Archives.

Skiing

The oldest-known skis were used at least ten millennia ago (they were found in Russia), but skiing didn’t become popular in our region until the end of the nineteenth century. Today, New England is the undisputed ski capital of the East Coast, and from cross-country to downhill, our collections highlight New Englanders’ dedication to the sport.

A person wearing a hat and a heavy overcoat stands on skis and hold ski poles. There are two people in the background and snow covers the ground.
Harriot Sumner Curtis (aunt of Historic New England founder William Sumner Appleton), pictured here in 1904, was an amateur golfer and early skiing enthusiast. Harriot Appleton Curtis photographic collection.
A woman is skiing downhill on skiis with poles. She is wearing blue pants and a sweater colored red, yellow, and blue. She is also wearing a yellow scarf and a blue hat. The woman is looking back at the viewer and smiling.
Painting of a woman skiing, signed “L Kramer 1927,” original to Phillips House. Gift of the Stephen Phillips Memorial Charitable Trust for Historic Preservation.

Tobogganing

Tobogganing has a long history in New England, developed by indigenous North Americans developed to transport people and goods. The English word “toboggan” is likely derived from the Mi’kmaq word for sled—toboggans are simple sleds curved in front and put directly on the snow without runners, while sleds use runners on the bottom to give the rider better control. European settlers initially used toboggans as transportation, as well, but by the 1880s, tobogganing had become a popular pastime. 

Three groups of children arrange themselves on toboggans in preparation for descending a hill. A man in a derby appears to be assisting them. There is a large house in the background.
Children tobogganing in New England, ca. 1900. General photographic collection.
Two children sit on sleds in the snow outside a Victorian-style house with a porch and decorative plants.
Young members of the Wood family sit on a toboggan and sled in front of the family’s home in Dorchester, Massachusetts.

Snowshoeing

Originating in Central Asia in 4000 BCE, snowshoes have become an essential part of New England winters. Before more reliable (and warmer!) winter transportation was developed, snowshoes made it easier for people to walk on the region’s heavy snow. More recently, snowshoeing has become a popular winter hobby, allowing people to enjoy winter scenery without ruining natural landscapes by creating less of a footprint (literally!). 

A person wearing a hat and a heavy overcoat stands on snowshoes holding a ski pole. There are houses and other buildings surrounded by woods in the background.
A woman bundles up for a walk on her snowshoes, ca. 1900. General photographic collection.
A group pf young women hold snowshoes and skiis and pose in front a flag that reads 1923.
Colby College sorority members pose with snowshoes and cross-country skis, 1923. General photographic collection.

Ice-Skating

Scandinavians strapped skates to their feet as early as 1000 BCE, but it wasn’t until metal blades were attached to a wooden footplate in the mid-nineteenth century that the sport became widely popular in the United States. Whether at Frog Pond in Boston or river skating in Vermont, ice skating is a staple in a “New Englanders’ Guide to Doing Winter Right.” We have never met a patch of ice we didn’t think we could conquer on blades!

A large group of people skate on a frozen pond, which is surrounded by trees.
Ice skaters on frozen Scarboro Pond in Boston’s Franklin Park, 1888. General photographic collection.
A wooden ice skate with metal blade and leather strap at front.
An ice skate from the mid- to late-nineteenth century, associated with Castle Tucker in Wiscasset, Maine. Gift of Miss Jane S. Tucker.

Written by Kate Farrell, Digital and Social Media Strategist