Sporting, White Hare Shooting in Scotland, The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, 1883

From The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, 1883, 

Date: 1883

Artist: Swaine John and Temple JC 

Publisher: The Illustrated London News

Print Size: 350 x 240mm

Condition: Good

Technique: Wood engraving with later hand colouring

Price: $150

Description: Wood Engraving with later hand colouring

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, rabbit, and mink, 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

 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 click here: The History of English Sport