{"product_id":"9781487547080","title":"A Night at the Gardens","description":"Author: Russell Field\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 9781487547080\u003cbr\u003ePublisher: University of Toronto Press\u003cbr\u003eYear first published: 26 Apr 2023\u003cbr\u003ePages: 224\u003cbr\u003eFormat: Paperback \/ softback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eA Night at the Gardens\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e examines the history of hockey through the experiences of spectators at the famed Maple Leaf Gardens.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen Toronto\u0026amp;#x27;s Maple Leaf Gardens opened in 1931, manager Conn Smythe envisioned an arena that would project an aura of middle-class respectability. In \u003ci\u003eA Night at the Gardens\u003c\/i\u003e, Russell Field shares how this new arena anticipated spectators by examining varying spectator behaviours, who the spectators were, and what the experience of spectating was like. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDrawing on archival records, the book explores the neighbourhood in which Maple Leaf Gardens was situated, the design of the arena\u0026amp;#x27;s interior spaces, and the ways in which it was operated in order to appeal to respectable spectators at a particular intersection of class and gender. Examining a ticket ledger compiled by arena staff for the 1933-34 National Hockey League season, the book reveals that the average subscriber purchased more than two tickets, suggesting that attending hockey games was a social experience. It also shows that while ticket subscribers were overwhelmingly middle-class men, women were also present. Oral history interviews with twenty-one former spectators at the Maple Leaf Gardens detail the experience of watching the spectacle that unfolded on the ice during each hockey game. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eA Night at the Gardens\u003c\/i\u003e tells the fascinating story of how one prominent public building became such an important part of Toronto society.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ships in 10 to 15 days","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46819982246046,"sku":"ADS-9781487547080","price":44.78,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0400\/9043\/5742\/files\/9781487547080.jpg?v=1778467751","url":"https:\/\/classicbargains.com.au\/products\/9781487547080","provider":"Classic Bargains Australia","version":"1.0","type":"link"}