Mattall, Levi J.
- Unknown
artist - Gallery of
drawings
Unknown Artist
Although he was not an athlete, Mount Allison student Levi J. Mattall’s illustrations in the University student journal The Argosy play an important role today in understanding female athletics at the turn of the last century. His drawings of female athletes and spectators captured his subject in ways that camera lenses of his day did not.
From 1902 to 1903, Mattall contributed a drawing each month to The Argosy, which depicted a female student’s activities on campus. The drawings Mattall featured were of a female student who was often participating in sports, such as tennis, basketball, hockey and snowshoeing [see Gallery of Drawings, next page].
The illustrations are significant for the level of detail Mattall paid to his subject, and also for their timing. Female students at Mount Allison had just begun competing in organized team sports during the previous school year, 1901-1902. The drawings also marked the first time illustrations were featured in The Argosy.
Mattall [sometimes spelled “Mattatall” in Mount Allison calendars] was originally from Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia. He attended the Male Academy from 1901 to 1904, and was a student in the Ladies’ College fine arts department from 1902 to 1903. It is not known what happened to Levi Mattall following his last year at Mount Allison.
Home and Topics - Galleries - Timeline - Maps
Copyright - Footnotes - Credits - Technical Information - Feedback
© 2008 Mount Allison University Archives
Sackville, New Brunswick
All Rights Reserved
Maintained by the Mount Allison University Archives
This project was funded by the Marjorie Young Bell Endowment Fund