The Captain's Kit Bag : Intro
Wellington declared that the Battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton but the association of the British armed forces with sports stretches back even further.
Drake is known as much for refusing to cut short his game of bowls as he is for defeating the Spanish Armada. In the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries the life of a gentleman
was often a sporting one. It was also likely that he spent some time in the military where he might further these pursuits. This joint catalogue explores the strong relationship
between the military and sports. Sports were used to build character amongst the officer class as well as develop the team ethic. J.E.C. Welldon, the headmaster of Harrow between
1881 and 1895, firmly believed that ‘the pluck, the energy, the perseverance, the good temper, the self-control, the discipline, the co-operation, the esprit de corps which merit
success in cricket or football, are the very qualities which win the day in peace or war.’ Some sports were also very practical for training purposes and the advantages for a
cavalry regiment to play polo or go pig sticking and tent pegging are obvious.
Games were also a welcome diversion to colonial life for both the military and the administrators of the Empire. The army was a rich channel by which sports were both introduced to
the colonies and existing pastimes were absorbed, adapted and regulated to become ‘British’. There was a great interest back home in the exotic life to be had in a
country such as India, as the book ‘Oriental Field Sports’ (No.2) testifies. A century later the interest was still there. Snaffles had already captured the ideal life of the
sporting gentleman with ‘The Finest View in Europe’ showing the lay of the land from the saddle. He transported his subject to India in ‘The Finest View In Asia
’ (No.8) and summed up perfectly the relationship between the two continents as far as a gentleman was concerned.Good sport was to be had in both.
There are very strong connections between the manufacturers of portable furniture and sporting goods. Some made both, such as the Army & Navy Store or S.W. Silver and
realised the practicalities of having agents or outlets throughout the Empire. Others purely capitalized on the good business sense of marketing folding furniture to both the traveller and
the sportsmen. The cross over between campaign furniture and sporting antiques is just as relevant today. In putting together this catalogue both businesses involved, Christopher
Clarke Antiques and Manfred Schotten Antiques, have brought different areas of expertise. There is much we have taught each other about our common ground and we hope you will
share with us our fascination with this absorbing subject.
|
