Welcome to Rowing Archives. Our primary mission is to discover, restore, digitize and share visual imagery related to the sport of rowing. This website is just the first step in fulfilling our mission.

In just a few years, thanks to the support of our many donors, we have made significant contributions to preserving and publicizing some of the most important events in modern rowing history (1908-present), including rare footage of the 1936 University of Washington Varsity eight - aka “The Boys in the Boat” practicing in Seattle, New York and Berlin. This remarkable footage comprised a significant portion of the PBS documentary “The Boys of ‘36,” which we provided to them as a public service (through the generosity of the Ulbrickson family).

Rowing Archives was also able to help leverage a very considerable donation of building materials that will be used to construct the Joe Rantz Memorial Boathouse in Lake Stevens, Washington. We have also supported the Green Lake Crew’s “Ready All” campaign to build a new boathouse that will serve the entire community through our production of “Green Lake Crew: 70 Years of Pulling Together.” Click on the links above to see a selection of films and photos we have already restored and digitized.

Rowing Archives founder Lenny O’Donnell frequently gives free presentations and speeches on rowing history and related topics to young rowers, old rowers and non-rowers in groups small and large.

We have tons more films and photos to scan, digitize and share, and we need the support of the international rowing community to continue to restore and digitize our archives (as well as thousands of feet of film languishing, unrestored and undigitized, in university collections all over the country). We hope you enjoy our content here and on our Facebook page (just search Rowing Archives).

If you would like to support our work please click the Donate bar above.

If you would like to license or use any of the images on this site please contact us. All images and videos are (C) Copyright 2023 Rowing Archives and/or the Ulbrickson Family Collection. All Rights Reserved.