Tom Stewart of St Andrews

Photographs, 1890s–1920s

The Stewart era

Tom Stewart never posed for the camera much. These are the people and places around him: players whose names travel with surviving Stewart clubs in museum collections, and the St Andrews trade his bare heads were forged for.

A word of caution before you scroll. A photograph of a golfer from these years proves the man, the year and the tweed — it does not prove the club in his hands came off Stewart's anvil. Where a name is linked to Stewart work it is because clubs bearing his mark survive with that name attached, not because anything here can be read off the picture. I would rather say so than let a caption do the arguing.

The Old Course at St Andrews in 1891, with golfers crossing the links and the town beyond — The Old Course, St Andrews
1891
The Old Course during Tom Stewart’s early years as an independent cleek maker.
Public domain; J. Valentine & Co; University of St Andrews Library Photographic Archive · source page

Golfers on the Old Course at St Andrews in 1901, viewed across the historic links — The Old Course, St Andrews
August 1901
The links in the middle of Stewart’s working life, published in the official USGA Bulletin.
Public domain; Golf, official USGA Bulletin, August 1901, page 81 · source page

Shopfront reading T. Morris in St Andrews, with workmen standing behind a fence — Old Tom Morris's shop, St Andrews
undated
The trade Stewart forged for, photographed from the street. Heads left the cleek shop bare and were shafted, stamped and sold in premises like this one.
Public domain; source: Wikimedia Commons · source page

Engraved period advertisement for Archie Simpson, professional golf player and maker of golf clubs at Balgownie Links, Aberdeen — Archie Simpson, club maker, Balgownie Links
period advertisement
How a Scottish maker advertised himself in Stewart's working years: maker of best golf clubs and balls, advice given on laying out new courses.
Public domain; source: Wikimedia Commons · source page

Harry Vardon in tweed jacket and cap, standing on turf leaning on a club, 1899 — Harry Vardon
1899
Vardon is one of the players whose name travels with surviving Stewart irons in museum collections. The club in this photograph is not identified.
Public domain; source: Wikimedia Commons · source page

Studio portrait of James Braid seated in a wicker chair wearing a tweed cap and jacket, 1904 — James Braid
1904
Braid, of the Great Triumvirate, is another name attached to Stewart clubs held in museum collections.
Public domain; source: Wikimedia Commons · source page

Jack White seated in a wicker chair beside a collie, holding two clubs, 1904 — Jack White
1904
Open champion of 1904, and a name that recurs in the provenance of surviving Stewart irons.
Public domain; source: Wikimedia Commons · source page

Ted Ray standing with a pipe in his mouth, hand resting on a club, 1920 — Ted Ray
1920
Ray, pipe and all, in the year he won the US Open. Clubs bearing his name sit alongside Stewart work in museum collections.
Public domain; source: Wikimedia Commons · source page

Francis Ouimet at the finish of a swing on a fairway, with a plate camera on a tripod behind him, 1913 — Francis Ouimet
1913
The amateur who beat Vardon and Ray at Brookline. Stewart-marked heads were in wide use among players of his generation.
Public domain; source: Wikimedia Commons · source page

Francis Ouimet standing between Harry Vardon and Ted Ray before a hedge, 1913 — Francis Ouimet with Harry Vardon and Ted Ray
1913
The Brookline play-off, and three of the names most often attached to surviving hickory irons of the period.
Public domain; source: Wikimedia Commons · source page

Bobby Jones at the top of his follow-through on a tee, wearing white shirt and bow tie, around 1921 — Bobby Jones
c. 1921
Jones played Stewart irons, and his set is the reason most people meet the pipe mark at all. Which club he holds here is not recorded.
Public domain; source: Wikimedia Commons · source page

Credits and licences

Every photograph on this page is listed as public domain by Wikimedia Commons. Attribution is not legally required for public-domain material, but the record belongs with the picture.

The Old Course, St Andrews, 1891 — Public domain; J. Valentine & Co; University of St Andrews Library Photographic Archive (Commons)
The Old Course, St Andrews, August 1901 — Public domain; Golf, official USGA Bulletin, August 1901, page 81 (Commons)
Old Tom Morris's shop, St Andrews, undated — Public domain; source: Wikimedia Commons (Commons)
Archie Simpson, club maker, Balgownie Links, period advertisement — Public domain; source: Wikimedia Commons (Commons)
Harry Vardon, 1899 — Public domain; source: Wikimedia Commons (Commons)
James Braid, 1904 — Public domain; source: Wikimedia Commons (Commons)
Jack White, 1904 — Public domain; source: Wikimedia Commons (Commons)
Ted Ray, 1920 — Public domain; source: Wikimedia Commons (Commons)
Francis Ouimet, 1913 — Public domain; source: Wikimedia Commons (Commons)
Francis Ouimet with Harry Vardon and Ted Ray, 1913 — Public domain; source: Wikimedia Commons (Commons)
Bobby Jones, c. 1921 — Public domain; source: Wikimedia Commons (Commons)

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