Washington Winter Show 2013

SPORTING PASTIMES T he country way of life is not easy. It requires a commitment to values that champion the past and keep and preserve animals and open spaces. This commitment is also celebrated in the rewards of leisure; turf and field sports as traditional rural pursuits have their roots in the land and its domestic and wild animals. Some sporting activities were born of necessity. Fishing and shooting ultimately yielded sustenance, but their undertaking offered recreation. Coaching once served a primary function of transportation, yet at the same time provided the enjoyment of pleasure driving and the exploration of new horizons. Other sports like foxhunting, steeplechasing, and horse racing were formed on the enjoyment of the chase, whether after wild game or as a competitive endeavor. Art & Objects of Leisure Highlights from the National Sporting Library and Museum, Middleburg, Virginia Fig. 1: Park Drag Tabletop Centerpiece, early twentieth century English sterling silver on a marble and wooden base, complete with custom-built, mahogany travel case made by Elkington & Co. Ltd. Silversmiths, London (not pictured), 17½ x 41½ x 9½ inches (excluding the base). Museum purchase with funds donated by: Hector Alcalde, Helen K. Groves, Manuel H. Johnson, Jacqueline B. Mars and Jacqueline L. Ohrstrom 38 This page is sponsored by Mrs. William J. Curtin, Mrs. Dynes L. Leitch, Mrs. Malcolm Matheson III An examination of English, American, and French vintage and antique objects relating to these sporting pastimes reveals utilitarian articles as well as fine and decorative art. The pursuit of sport, of course, has always required practical accoutrements such as riding boots, jockey scales, or a fishing rod, but what makes these objects collectable? Sometimes it is the person to whom they belonged. In other instances, the item simply survived intact long enough to become historically significant or desirable as ephemera. Paintings and sculpture, conversely, often serve a practical purpose of commemorating a winner or by Claudia Pfeiffer, George L. Ohrstrom, Jr. Curator capturing a likeness, in addition to being artwork. Fine quality and rare books on sporting pursuits, too, are both informative and collectible. The objects in the 2013 Washington Winter Show loan exhibition span hundreds of years, yet remain just as relevant to turf and field sport enthusiasts today as they were when they were first created. ANGLING Among the earliest sporting pursuits, fishing with a rod and line dates back to antiquity, requiring only access to water and a little