Papers of Bert Ives

Scrapbooks compiled by the middle-distance runner Bert Ives, illustrating his athletics career primarily during the early 20th century. The collection contains newspaper cuttings, a number of which relate to the athletics career of Bert Ives and also his successes at cross-country racing. The volumes include a number of articles written by Bert Ives himself as well as photographs and a small number of athletics programmes, results, minutes of organisations and newsletters.

Material focuses on London and the southern and midland counties. In most cases the newspaper cuttings are dated and the source acknowledged. Cuttings have been taken from various newspapers including 'The Sporting Life', 'The News of the World', 'The People', 'The Morning Post', 'The Sportsman' and 'The Referee'.

There is a small amount of material relating to Bert Ives in a scrapbook compiled by Wilfrid G. (Gus) Tatham, see ATH/WGT/2.

Bert Ives was born in Islington on 18 February 1890. He was a very successful middle-distance runner, winning many one mile, three mile and five mile races throughout his career. He first came to prominence in August 1908 when he competed in a five mile novice road race, winning by half a mile. Very shortly afterwards he joined Queen's Park Harriers. In April 1911 he went on to win the South London Harriers three mile handicap at the Oval during a thunderstorm. In May 1912 he won the 1500m Olympic trials in 4 minutes 8.8 seconds. However, due to lack of financial backing, he was unable to be selected to represent Great Britain at the 1912 Stockholm Olympic Games.

At a Blackheath Harriers meeting at Catford in 1914 he won the mile handicap off the 55 yard mark, running through the field of 134 competitors to win in a time of 4 minutes 22.2 seconds. In 1920 he was selected to represent England against America at Queen's Club. At this time he also won the three mile track race, held annually at Tufnell Park, for four years in succession. He last competed in an athletic meeting during 1933. This marked 25 consecutive years of running in races of various distances including sprinting and cross-country. He was never beaten in a club scratch mile event.

Bert Ives married Ida Long on 30 September 1925 at Finchley Parish Church. Ida, who served in the Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD), had nursed Bert in hospital after he was wounded in the First World War. He served with the London Riffle Brigade during the war, was wounded twice and rose to the rank of Company Quartermaster Sergeant. During the Second World War he served with the Home Guard.

He was involved in athletics in his later years and took on many administrative roles. He was elected President of the National Cross-Country Union during the 1920s; and was sometime Secretary of Queen's Park Harriers. He celebrated his 60th year of active membership of Queen's Park Harriers in August 1968. In his later years he was elected a life member of the club.

Bert Ives died in 1975.

Open. Access to all registered researchers.

Please see full catalogue for more information.

Permission to make any published use of any material from the collection must be sought in advance in writing from the Director of Special Collections (email: special-collections@contacts.bham.ac.uk). Identification of copyright holders of unpublished material is often difficult. Special Collections will assist where possible with identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material.

This collection was previously in the custody of the National Centre for Athletics Literature (NCAL).

Other archive collections, formerly held as part of the National Centre for Athletics Literature (NCAL), are catalogued as collections distinct from this collection. They comprise both institutional archives and collections of personal papers of athletes, athletics administrators, journalists and others associated with the athletics world.

Catalogues of the institutional archives available on the online archive catalogue are as follows:
Amateur Athletic Association: papers, 1880-1992. Finding No: ATH/AAA;
English Cross-Country Union: papers, 1911-1989. Finding No: ATH/ECCU;
Midland Counties Amateur Athletics Association: papers, 1900-1991. Finding No: ATH/MCAAA;
Midland Counties Cross Country Association: papers, 1898-1985. Finding No: ATH/MCCCA;
Midland Counties Women's Amateur Athletic Association: papers, 1949-[1980s]. Finding No: ATH/MCWAAA;
Northern Counties Women's Amateur Athletic Association: papers, 1933-1989. Finding No: ATH/NCWAAA;
Northern Cross-Country Association: papers, 1906-1983. Finding No: ATH/NCCA;
Northern Women's Track and Field League: papers, 1982-1983. Finding No: ATH/NWTFL;
Southern Counties Amateur Athletic Association: papers, 1958-1983. Finding No: ATH/SCAAA;
Southern Counties Cross-Country Association: papers, 1911-1990. Find No: ATH/SCCCA;
The Sports Council: papers, [1940s]-2001. Finding No: ATH/SC;
Women's Amateur Athletic Association: papers, 1932-1989. Finding No: ATH/WAAA.

Catalogues of personal papers available on the online archive catalogue are as follows:
Abrahams, Harold Maurice (1899-1978), athlete, administrator, commentator and journalist: papers, 1902-1989. Finding No: ATH/HA;
Adam, George Mair (1898-1989), athlete, coach and athletics administrator: papers, 1909-1989. Finding No: ATH/GA;
Binks, Joseph (Joe) (1874-1966), athlete and athletics commentator: papers, [1920s-1950s]. Finding No: ATH/JB;
Brown, Audrey Kathleen (nee Court) (1913-2005), athlete: papers, [1930s]-2005. Finding No: USS22;
Cardew, Martin H. (b 1927), athlete: papers, 1964-1988. Finding No: ATH/MHC;
Cullum, Dennis Noel Johnson (1913-1985), athlete and coach: papers, [1930s]-1985. Finding No: ATH/DC;
Ives, Bert (1890-1975), athlete and athletics administrator: papers, [1920s-1970s]. Finding No: ATH/BI;
Jarvis, Walter (c 1888-c 1935), athlete: papers, 1910-1996. Finding No: MS4;
Jewell, John Christopher (1912-2001), athlete and athletics commentator: papers, 1897-2002. Finding No: ATH/JJ;
Lloyd-Edgley, Ralph: scrapbook, [c 1924]-[c 1931]. Finding No: ATH/RLE;
MacLean, Duncan (1884-1980), athlete and coach: papers, 1948-1977. Finding No: ATH/DM;
Monk, Walter Harry (Wal) (1896-after 1965), athlete: papers, 1918-1961. Finding No: ATH/WHM;
Morgan, Wilf (b 1935), athlete and athletics historian: papers, 1937-2012. Finding No: ATH/WM;
Newton, Arthur Francis Hamilton (1883-1959), athlete: papers, [c 1904]-[1990s]. Finding No: ATH/AN;
Payne, Howard (1931-1992), athlete: papers, 1899-[c 1975]. Finding No: ATH/HP;
Percy, Joe W. (1912-2001), athlete and athletics administrator: papers, 1910-1997. Finding No: ATH/JWP;
Perry, George (b 1903), athlete: papers, [1920s]-1956. Finding No: ATH/GP;
Powell, Edgar Robert Leslie (Peter), (fl 1920s-70s), athlete: papers, 1813-1988. Finding No: ATH/ERLP;
Richards, Wilf (b 1906), athlete and journalist: papers, 1924-[mid 20th century]. Finding No: ATH/WR;
Roberts, Dave (fl 1930s-1990s), athlete and statistician: papers, [1930s]-1991. Finding No: ATH/DR;
Simpson, Colin J. (1929-2011), athlete and athletics administrator: papers, 1945-1990. Finding No: ATH/CS;
Tatham, Wilfrid George (Gus) (1898-1978), athlete: papers, 1908-1960. Finding No: ATH/WGT;
Thomas, Dr Philip, athletics administrator and coach: papers, [c 1900]-[late 20th century]. Finding No: ATH/PT;
Vargas, Charles Climaco (1905-1975), athlete: papers, 1921-31. Finding No: ATH/CCV;
Ward, Leonard H., athletics coach: papers, [mid-20th century]. Finding No: ATH/LW;
Watman, Melvyn Francis (Mel) (b 1938), athletics journalist and statistician: papers, 1980-1993. Finding No: ATH/MW;
Wight, Robert M., athletics administrator: papers, [mid-20th century]. Finding No: ATH/RW;
Winter, Arthur E. H. (d 1990), athlete and athletics commentator: papers, [early 20th century]-1983. Finding No: ATH/AW;
Yarrow, Squire Stevens (1905-1984), athlete and athletics administrator: papers, 1938-1984. Finding No: ATH/SY.