Sporting, In the Hunting Fields, Home for the Holidays, Harpers Weekly, 1876

From The Graphic Magazine, 1876

Date: 1876

Sporting, In The Hunting Fields-Home for the Holidays, og wood eng published in London c1876, The Graphic magazine, ppr295x410,p225x150x2, $150

Publisher: The Graphic Magazine

Paper Size: 295 x 410mm

Print Size: 225 x 150mm x 2

Condition: Good

Technique: Wood engraving with later hand colouring

Price: $195

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.

In the United Kingdom, the term hunting with no sports qualification generally refers to hunting fox, stag, and mink hunting with hounds. What is sometimes referred to as deer hunting is in fact deer stalking which was very popular amongst the gentry

Shooting referred to the shooting of game, particularly rabbits and birds like ducks and pheasants

 Today, according to the records of the British Association for Shooting and Conservation, (BASC) over one million people participate in shooting, including stalking, hunting, clay, and target shooting each year. To undertake shooting in any form in the UK today, a valid firearms license and insurance is required.T

 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.

To learn more about The History of English Sport click here