'for the Athletic Honor of the Maple Leaf': The Photographic Identity of the 'Lost Olympians'--Canada's Olympic 'Stadium Team,' London, England, 1908‪.‬

Prologue On 2 February 2009, Matt Quinn, the Public Affairs Officer of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Western Ontario ("Western"), received an e-mail from David Parkes of Toronto, father of a prospective "Western" student. Parkes, in his perusal of "Western" promotional literature, learned of the International Centre for Olympic Studies (ICOS). Parkes' message to Quinn read: "I'm not sure if you are the right person to contact. If not I hope you can point me in the right direction. I have an original photograph of what I believe to be the Canadian track and field team from the 1908 Olympics (see attached). I am hoping to identify my great uncle, Robert Irving Parkes, who participated in the 800 metre event. Is there an available resource that might help me identify the athletes in this photo?" Quinn forwarded the 'Parkes message' to ICOS, together with Parkes' 'see attached' photo (page 140).