Sporting Road

Today, a blazer is one of the most versatile pieces in a wardrobe. It can be dressed up with tailored trousers or paired with jeans for a casual look. Available in everything from classic navy and charcoal to bold plaids and vibrant colors, the modern blazer has become a fashion staple. But its origins have little to do with business attire—and everything to do with competitive rowing. The blazer was born on the rivers of 19th-century England, where rowers at Oxford and Cambridge wore loose-fitting jackets to stay warm during chilly morning practices and races. Unlike today's structured versions, these early jackets resembled lightweight windbreakers designed for comfort and function. The name itself is believed to have originated with the Lady Margaret Boat Club at St. John's College, Cambridge. Club members wore striking scarlet jackets that stood out on the water, inspiring the term "blazer," a reference to their blazing red color. Bright jackets and bold stripes soon became common among rowing clubs, making it easy for spectators to identify competing teams. As the jackets became symbols of pride and membership, athletes began wearing them away from the river—much like modern varsity or letterman jackets. Before long, rugby, cricket, croquet, and football clubs adopted similar styles, and by the late 1800s the word blazer had come to describe almost any colorful sporting jacket. The style crossed the Atlantic around the turn of the 20th century, where it quickly became popular on Ivy League campuses. Students at Yale, Harvard, Princeton, and Cornell embraced loose flannel blazers as part of collegiate fashion, helping transform the garment from athletic apparel into a symbol of classic American style. More than a century later, the cut, fabrics, and colors

The featured photo from the Library of Congress shows indian women at the Laguna, New Mexico, train depot c. 1902. Santa Fe Railroad officials encouraged the sale of Pueblo jewelry, crafts, and art at rail depots throughout the Southwest in an effort to attract tourists to the region. Native American imagery became a powerful force in American advertising during the late 19th century and has remained a familiar marketing symbol ever since. Thousands of posters, signs, brochures, and promotional booklets portrayed Indigenous people as symbols of strength, courage, speed, fierce independence, and a deep connection to nature. Railroads heading west, particularly those crossing the Southwest to California, embraced this imagery to sell the romance of travel. Their advertisements promised an unforgettable journey through dramatic landscapes inhabited by ancient cultures, transforming a train trip into an adventure. One example from my collection is this 1917 brochure, distributed aboard Santa Fe Railway trains to encourage travelers to visit Los Angeles. This version flows more naturally while preserving the historical context without endorsing the stereotypes used in the original advertising. If you're writing for a history or vintage advertising audience, it also reflects that these were marketing portrayals rather than factual representations. This is the story of how the Land of Enchantment was formed. https://mytext.cnm.edu/lesson/creating-the-land-of-enchantment/ 

PAMPLONA, Spain — This year’s San Fermin festival is fit for anything, including outfitters offering packages for running with the bulls and bullfighting side-trips.  This year marks the 100th anniversary of the publication of Ernest Hemingway’s book “The Sun Also Rises,” which put Pamplona on the map. Hemingway first attended the festival in Pamplona, Spain, on July 7, 1924, accompanied by friends. He was immediately captivated by the life-and-death drama of the bullfights, the bravery of the matadors, and the energetic, hard-drinking culture of the celebration. These annual trips provided the core setting and inspiration for his breakthrough work. Today, the festival consists of eight consecutive morning bull runs, beginning on July 7. Thousands of participants pack the cobblestoned streets of Pamplona to scramble out of the way of a pack of charging bulls.  The run spans roughly 875 meters (about 960 yards) through the old quarter of the city, culminating in the bullring.  The run is inherently dangerous, with participants regularly suffering gorings and severe injuries.