Len Thompson celebrity print 1972

Maker unknown

Registration number

1809803

Artist/maker

Maker unknown

Title

Len Thompson celebrity print

Production date

1972

Medium

concrete, brass

Dimensions (H x W x D)

64 x 23 x 5.5 cm

Inscriptions

LEN THOMPSON / 1972 BROWNLOW MEDALIST / MADE A MARK HERE ON / MONDAY 18TH SEPTEMBER / 1972

Credit line

City of Melbourne Art and Heritage Collection

Keywords

McEwans celebrity pavement, footprints, handprints, Len Thompson, AFL, 1972

Summary

This concrete handprint and football boot print was formerly located as a part of the iconic McEwans celebrity pavement. Between 1972 and 1994, scores of celebrities had their handprints and footprints immortalised in cement at the entrance to the McEwans hardware store on Bourke Street. The City of Melbourne Art and Heritage Collection acquired a number of these impressed concrete slabs from the original celebrity pavement in 2005.

"Len Thompson (1947-2007) played for Collingwood from 1965 to 1978, serving as captain and vice-captain. Between 1970 and 1973, he was ousted from leadership at the club after he and captain Des Tuddenham went on strike, calling for fairer pay. As well as winning the 1972 Brownlow Medal, Thompson would be selected as the first ruck in Collingwood’s ‘Team of the Century’." - Robyn Annear, 2023