Black and Gold is a pictorial romp through four decades of one of the NHL’s great Original Six franchises—a personal history of the Boston Bruins as seen through the lens of Steve Babineau, team photographer for 35 years. Over his long career, Babs, as he is known, has captured over one-third of the history of this storied franchise with his work. He has seen many of the greats in the organization and he has photographed them all for the record: Bobby Orr, John Bucyk, Phil Esposito, Terry O’Reilly, Ray Bourque, Cam Neely, Gerry Cheevers, Don Cherry and the Lunchpail Gang, and many more.
In glorious color and classic black and white, Black and Gold lovingly captures four decades of Bruins history and the team’s characters in over 300 photographs, many of them never published before.
With veteran hockey journalist, broadcaster and author Rob Simpson, Babs shares his memories and best-loved moments with the team: from growing up a Bruins fan, to his own early hockey-playing days, getting interested in photography and coming to work for the Bs, and eventually documenting the team and its players through four decades. Black and Gold is an up-close and personal look at the Bruins players, coaches, and fans, as well as the old Boston Garden and the characters who inhabited it.
As well as Babs’ perspective on the Bruins—from the stands, the penalty box, the press box, and the arena rafters—Black and Gold features interviews with many former Bruins, coaches and general managers, peppering the pages with great first-hand stories and anecdotes on what it means to be a Bruin and share in the great tradition of the franchise; and on the hundreds of blueliners, scorers and playmakers, grinders and enforcers, goalies, and coaches that passed through the organization in the four decades that Babs caught on film.
Thirty-five years and some 1,700 games have gone by since Babineau shot his first game back in the 1973-74 season, and he’s still counting. Black and Gold is a fitting testament to that great career, and to those who fill its pages.
This stunning collection of photographs, of magic moments and commentary from the last four decades will be sure to bring back memories for every Bruins fan who bleeds black and gold.
