Who was Thomas J. Scott?

The first selection for this year’s Sporting Bibliophile’s Book Club is Horse by Geraldine Brooks. I can’t tell you how many times each of us on staff heard, “Have you read Horse?!” Therefore, it was a no-brainer for the 2023 line-up. At the heart of the book is the fictionalized account of Lexington, that, for […]

Fingerprints

By Colleen Yarger, George L. Ohrstrom, Jr. Curator of Library Collections Do you see it and recognize it for what it’s worth? Because I didn’t the first time I saw it… Beginning July 2022, with my tenure at National Sporting Library & Museum (hereafter NSLM), I have been researching and working towards a Forrest E. […]

“Zillah” in the Western World

You can you usually tell which artwork is among my favorites based on what greets visitors when they enter an exhibition at the National Sporting Library & Museum. Zillah by Charles Hamilton is currently on view at the entrance of Identity & Restraint: Art of the Dog Collar, flanked by two pierce-work brass dog collars. […]

An Annotated Bird Dog Bibliography

By Colleen Yarger, George L. Ohrstrom, Jr. Curator of Library Collections and Emily Reeb, Clarice & Robert H. Smith Education Coordinator As many of you may know, on Thursday, December 15, 2022, the NSLM will be hosting a round table discussion on bird dogs (also known as gun dogs). With a wonderful group of panelists […]

Spot On!

by Colleen Yarger, George L. Ohrstrom, Jr. Curator of Library Collections “Huh, well that’s different…” I noted in the early hours of a Monday morning in the dark and empty Library’s main reading room. When I made this statement, I was transferring files from the Patricia Williams MacVeagh Photo Collection to Internet Archive, and a […]

Basset Hounds, From St. Hubert to Columbo

As I mentioned in my gallery talk a few weeks ago, whenever an exhibition of loaned paintings arrives, NSLM staff always picks a few favorites. This is always difficult because it is like asking someone to name his or her favorite child. All the artwork is beautiful and meaningful but ultimately, there are a couple […]

“Fishing from Heaven” -the history of Tenkara

Traditional Japanese Fly Fishing Tenkara, or “Fishing from Heaving,” is an artform unlike our western style of fly fishing, but a utilitarian and purposeful technique of fishing that arose out of a need to acquire food in fast moving volcanic mountain streams in Japan. The origins of tenkara are unknown as many tenkara anglers were unable […]

Blessing of the Animals: a Look Back in Time

As the annual Interfaith Blessing of the Animals approaches, we at the NSLM find ourselves drawn once again to the tradition’s beginnings as well as seeking out artistic and archival examples in our collections. Within the NSLM’s own holdings exist several examples of Blessing the Animals imagery, with the Patricia W. MacVeagh Photo Collection boasting a […]

Adoring Aquatint

by Colleen Yarger, George L. Ohrstrom Jr., Curator of Library Collections aq·ua·tint NOUN VERB I’ll admit, ever since I learned about this printmaking method a few years ago, I have become head-over-heels enamored with this medium. What, you may ask, makes it worthy of my affection? Well, it’s an art. It’s a science. It’s tremendously […]

A Prize fighter, a Game Chicken, and a Giant walk into a bar…

The Intro Gallery of A Decade Afield displays artwork amassed during the pre-Museum days. It includes charcoal drawings by Edward Troye, bronzes by Carroll Bassett, a pastel of Harry Worcester Smith, and a portrait by Benjamin Marshall of John Gully. Who the heck is John Gully? Why should he be included amongst such company and […]