Sporting, Polo at Cedarhurst, Harpers Weekly, 1889

Supplement to Harpers Weekly, September 21, 1889

Date: 1889

Artist; de Thulstrup, T.

Publisher: Harper and Brothers

Paper Size: 558 x 404mm

Print Size: 345 x 495mm

Condition: Good

Technique: Wood engraving with later hand colouring

Price: $595

Description: Beautiful depiction of a Polo Game

Provenance

The History of English Sport

The English have always been 'addicted to sport' all through the ages and the games that people played often depended on their status in life.

Upper-class men spent their time at field sports like hunting, fishing and shooting as many were landowners and were able to host hunting events and shooting parties.

Polo is perhaps the oldest of the team sports and the first recorded tournament was in 600BC. It originated in Persia and the game is often associated with the rich and noble of society. played on horseback, in the middle ages it was used in training the cavalry. It first became known to western people via the British tea planters in Manipur and spread to Malta with soldiers and naval officers.

The first game in Britain was in 1869 and was first referred to as "hockey on horseback" the first official written rules were referred to as the Hurlingham Rules of 1874. Polo has always been linked to the middle and upper class in Britain with its origins being linked with the militia. This is also perhaps because it is a game played on horseback, requiring at least 2 horses per game...an expensive hobby to maintain.

To learn more click here: The History of English Sport

Everyone watches sport for basically the same reasons today. In the past during Tudor times, it was often to relieve anger and stress. Today, it is more about getting together for fun and relaxation. They watch for entertainment and pleasure

Sports in England have come a long way since the 1400s. They are not nearly as brutal as they used to be, though at times still rough. Rules are now official and are pretty much the same all over the world but the reasons for watching sport are all still the same. They serve as a reason for gatherings and meetings and for recreation.