Last month, the Library received a tremendous donation: a lifetime collection of equestrian photographs. The Patricia W. MacVeagh Photo Collection spans from 1939 to 2014. MacVeagh photographed horse shows and races from St. Louis to Virginia.
Patricia Williams MacVeagh photographed in 1941. MacVeagh was a lifelong equestrian and photographer; her photograph collection has been donated to NSLM. Photograph by J. Wayman Williams, used with permission.
Born June 16, 1929, as Patricia Kathryn Williams, MacVeagh graduated high school in 1947, attended Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, where she graduated with a degree in Spanish in 1951. She became a stewardess for Pan American Airlines on South American flights. After two years working on the airline, she returned to St. Louis and married Charles “Pete” MacVeagh in 1956.
Beth Rasin on Street Smart, Middleburg Horse Trials – O.P. September 26, 1999. Photo by Patricia W. MacVeagh.
The MacVeaghs had two children, Charles “Chip” MacVeagh, and Martha Williams MacVeagh. Their family moved to the Washington, D.C. area in July 1976, where they boarded horses at Southdown Farm in Great Falls. Patricia died from pancreatic cancer on April 28, 2014. She was a charter member of Vienna Photographic Society (Vienna, VA) and served in various volunteer roles and was active in the photo competitions of the Society. Patricia took regular riding lessons throughout life; her last riding lesson was in January 2014, four months before her death.
Jimmy Scarborough on Chanalis, outside course, Bridlespur Horse Show, St. Louis, MO May 13, 1945. Photo by Patricia W. MacVeagh.
The collection is remarkable in several ways. First, because of its size: over 17,000 images will be added to NSLM’s collection. Second, because the donors are also giving NSLM the rights to the photographs, making it possible for NSLM to use, reproduce, and print the photos without seeking additional permissions. Third, Patricia’s daughter Martha has comprehensively documented the collection: horse names, rider names, and locations have all been compiled into a massive spreadsheet that can be converted into an archival finding aid. She also had the entire collection digitized, making it possible for NSLM to host the photographs online in the future.
Finally, the family is making a monetary contribution of $5,000 to help maintain the collection. It’s highly unusual that we receive funds along with materials; there’s always a cost to bring a collection of books or archival materials into the collection and we’re extremely grateful to Patricia’s family for this donation.
Steve Green and Ben Swope (7th race, 1st div.) on Forever Gleaming (#3) and Incaseyouraminer (#2) at the Old Dominion Point to Point at Ben Venue, April 7, 2012. Photo by Patricia W. MacVeagh.
We’ve been blown away by this generous donation, and look forward to getting it online in the future for our researchers to view and use!
John Connolly has served as the George L. Ohrstrom, Jr. Head Librarian at the National Sporting Library & Museum (NSLM) since early 2014. He is responsible for the care of the Library collections, including books, magazines, photographs, diaries, letters, and much more. The NSLM collections span over 350 years of the history of equestrian sport, as well as fly fishing, wing shooting, and other field sports. Have a question? Contact John by e-mail
This last spring, I was accepted into the Attingham Trust’s The Horse and the Country House course: “This intensive, ten-day study programme, will examine the country house as a setting for outdoor pursuits, such as hunting and racing, and as a focus for horse-drawn travel.” Looking back after returning from the two-week program in England at the end of September, this verbiage was an understatement. It was not only the most intensive, but the most immersive and well-planned course I have ever taken. It also afforded me the privilege of meeting a group of amazing and knowledgeable people, and it is a trip that I will cherish for the rest of my life.
Days were filled to the brim with private tours at different venues, lectures, engaging conversation with approximately thirty international course participants, and more (delicious) food than is advisable. (I ate far more “bangers and mash” with onion gravy than I care to admit.) We began our whirlwind tour in Newmarket, the mecca of British horseracing, staying at the historic Jockey Club founded in the mid-18th century.
Nighttime view of the Hyperion sculpture by John Skeaping (English, 1901-1980) in front of the Jockey Club, High Street.The Jockey Club rooms
Visits to the National Heritage Center for Horseracing and Sporting Art with Director Christopher Garibaldi who was also a course participant and planner, to The Gallops training ground, and to trainer’s yards highlighted over three centuries of tradition in breeding, racing, and art. The museum, for example, has on display a painting by John Wootton, Queen Anne and her Entourage on Warren Hill Newmarket, c. 1707 – 1713. The exaggerated slope of the composition in no way diminished the impact of standing in the grass watching horses and jockeys train on that very same hill over three-hundred years later.
John Wootton (British, c. 1682-1764), Queen Anne and Her Entourage on Warren Hill, Newmarket, c.1707-1713, Private Collection loan to National Heritage Center for Horseracing and Sporting Art, NewmarketWarren Hill canter at The Gallops training ground, Newmarket
The Munnings Art Museum in Dedham in England, location of the former home of famed sporting artist Sir Alfred Munnings and his wife Violet, was another highlight. We were invited for a private viewing of Castle House with 150 works displayed chronologically, Munnings’ studio, the archives, and a tented reception. Director Jenny Hand and staff made us imagine that we were honored guests of the Munnings.
Paintings by Sir Alfred Munnings of Violet Munnings on view at Castle House, the Munnings Art Museum in Dedham
At Euston Hall and Pleasure Grounds, we were again made to feel like cherished guests during the intimate visit. The 6,200-acre property was inspiring, emphasizing the past of the English country house while serving as a sustainable model for the present and future. The 12th Duke and Duchess of Grafton undertook the painstaking conservation and restoration of the grounds and house beginning in 2012. The Duke spoke with pride of reestablishing waterways designed in centuries past and the regional breeds being kept by the family – the Red Poll cattle, Suffolk sheep, and the Suffolk Punch, now a very rare heavy horse breed. In the timelessly-restored interior, the Duchess expanded on their magnificent art collection and the rich, multi-generational history that the works represent.
The Duke of Grafton discusses the widening of the River Blackbourn in recent years to the original width in the designs by William Kent in 1731.A Suffolk Punch bred by Lady Euston, mother of the current Duke, and a groom
At Bolsover Castle, we were treated to a private reenactment of manège (the ancestor of modern dressage) riding and training in the historic riding house, bringing static 16th– and 17th-century book illustrations to life. The much smaller area ably navigated by the Spanish horse breeds was also a striking contrast to the showing the day before of para-equestrian dressage rider Charlotte Cundall at the Bishop Burton College arena.
Para-equestrian dressage rider Charlotte Cundall with BamBam at the Bishop Burton College
During the discussion after the manège demonstration, Dominic Sewell was asked how he trained his horses. He answered that the “excellent translation of Frederico Grisone’s Gli Ordini de Cavalcare by Elizabeth Tobey” with practical descriptions was instrumental in deciphering the antiquated techniques. It gave me chills. Tobey was the National Sporting Library & Museum’s first John H. Daniels Fellow in 2007. Her research of the Library’s 1550 first edition Grisone – the first manual on manège riding – and others led to her translated and annotated version published in 2014 along with translator Federica Deigan. To see her work in practice was awe-inspiring.
These are just some of the moments over the past two weeks that reminded me again and again why I fell in love with country life and its devotees, art, traditions, culture so long ago. I am humbled and honored to have had the opportunity to be enriched by such diverse and inspiring participants and presenters who all generously shared their unique perspectives on the horse and the country house.
Claudia Pfeiffer has been the George L. Ohrstrom, Jr. Curator of Art at the National Sporting Library & Museum since the position was underwritten by the George L. Ohrstrom, Jr. Foundation in 2012. Her primary focus is the research, design, interpretation, writing, and installation of exhibitions. E-mail Claudia at cpfeiffer@nationalsporting.org
There is a phenomenon that occurs in almost every museum: from a collection of thousands, a few works of art or historical objects emerge as a set of ‘fan favorites’. At NSLM, one such popular piece is Foxhounds and a Terrier in a Stable Interior, by John Emms. Each subject is painted with a keen eye for detail, the scene is restful, informal, and dignified. In fact, Emms’ low vantage point prompts the viewer to see these hounds (and terrier) as equals. It quickly becomes clear which animals have the larger personalities.
Foxhounds and a Terrier in a Stable Interior, 1878, John Emms (English, 1841-1912), oil on canvas, 39 x 52 inches, Gift of Mrs. Felicia Warburg Rogan, 2008
Viewers love this painting for a multitude of reasons, including the colors, textures, and the hounds’ expressions. My favorite thing about this piece is that Emms uses triangular composition here in much the same ways that Renaissance artists did centuries before.
The triangle lends a sense of stability to traditional compositions. The wide base helps to ground the eye while the narrow peak draws the viewer’s gaze upwards, usually to a face. Even though the subject itself may not be symmetrical, a triangular composition suggests balance. Emms uses an intricate arrangement of paws, noses, tails, and ears to construct triangles in Foxhounds and Terrier in a Stable Interior, while Leonardo Da Vinci only used one figure in Mona Lisa. My favorite little scene in Emms’ piece is a grouping of three hounds in the back of the kennel. The downward gaze of the hound at the top, with the other two gazing across at each other, is strikingly similar to many Madonna and Child paintings of the Renaissance era.
In particular, one of my favorite comparisons is to Raphael’s The Madonna and Child. In this piece, a young Mary extends both of her arms outwards: her left arm reaches down to bring St. John the Baptist closer to herself, while her right hand is raised to wrap the infant Christ in her garment. The motion is at once maternal and deferential. Meanwhile, in Emms’ painting, we see a similarly intimate moment caught between three hounds. Though probably not a maternal scene, the two hounds lying in the hay regard the sitting hound somewhat respectfully. The sitting hound is pale in color, and his or her down-turned eyes suggest a kind of long-suffering piety recognized in older dogs who live around rambunctious puppies or children. In both paintings, the grouping of subjects creates a very clear triangle between the seated figures and two smaller or reposed figures in their charge.
Once you start recognizing triangles in painting compositions, it is very difficult to stop! I encourage you all to take a stroll through our galleries to see how many more examples you can find of sporting artwork that shares compositional geometry with Italian Renaissance masters.
Anne Marie Paquette is the Clarice & Robert H. Smith Educator at the National Sporting Library & Museum (NSLM). Her passion for museum work began shortly after graduation with a Bachelor’s degree in History from James Madison University. Between her expeience working at the Fredericksburg Area Museum & Cultural Center and the Washington Heritage Museums, she has done everything from designing summer camps to formulating major fundraisers. Have a question? Contact Anne Marie by e-mail
While reprocessing our Rare Book collections, we often come across unusual volumes. We enjoyed finding two volumes of The Gentleman’s Companion. Volume I is titled An Exotic Cookery Book and volume II is titled An Exotic Drinking Book. Both were donated to NSLM by Paul Mellon in 1957, and both are indeed exotic! Many of the recipes are as outlandish today as they were when the books were published in 1939.
From Randolph Caldecott’s “Graphic” Pictures, 1898. National Sporting Library & Museum.
Broiled Turtle Steaks, a Isla de Pinos, Being a Receipt from an American Pineapple Planter in Estates there before Our Government Returned the Island to Cuba.
Steaks may be from green, hawkbill or loggerhead turtles, but not too thick or too aged — 1/2″ to 3/4″ thickness is correct. Rub with cut lime vigorously so as to get oil from peel into steak, rub with a cut clove of garlic, sprinkle with salt and let stand in squeezed juice lime for 1 hour. Brush with lots of olive oil and broil like any steak over coals or under broiler, seasoning to taste.
“More Friends and Less Need of Them,” from Involuntary Thoughts Henry Alken, 1824. National Sporting Library & Museum.
The book includes handy advice for how to prepare its meals, “exploding” the “old wives’ tales” associated with cooking. But many entries simply give hints on how to spice up preexisting recipes or give direction as to who might enjoy the dish.
From Randolph Caldecott’s “Graphic” Pictures, 1898. National Sporting Library & Museum.
Wine Jelly, a la Tsarina, which is another Delicate Remembrance from the Grandly Royal Days of Old Russia
We include this as suggestion for a wine jelly dish to be sent to the bedside of a favourite hospital patient, or invalid, as a taste-change from usual wabbly desserts dietitians seem to delight in inflicting on helpless souls. … Put jelly moulds on ice where they will get really chilled. Fill with any good usual wine jelly flavoured with the fruit which is the favourite of the subject, and sherry, being careful not to pass the half-way mark in the mould — retaining equal amount of the jelly. … While this last is still liquid, add 1 jigger of Gilka kummel, and whip with an egg beater so diligently that it grows white and thick. Put enough into moulds to fill, and chill very cold indeed.
From Randolph Caldecott’s “Graphic” Pictures, 1898. National Sporting Library & Museum.
As for the exotic drinks, there are plenty of unusual concoctions and advice as well.
The Bird of Paradise, a Colorful, Eye-Filling Experience We Found in Signing Our Names to the Book at the Strangers Club, Colon, Panama
This strange little club has many famous names in its logbook, Robinson from the SVAAP, Alain Gerbault, poor Dick Halliburton whom we first met in Singapore before he flew to Sarawak in 1932, sitting at table with Ruth Elder and Walter Camp. We always have found a welcome there during the 10 or 1 doz times we have been in the “Zone” going west to east or vice versa. … Actually this Bird of Paradise Fizz is Aziz’ Special to which 2 to 3 tsp of raspberry syrup have been added instad of the sugar, and juice of 1 1/2 limes instead of the lemon. Float on a red rose petal, or any scarlet small tropical blossom, like bougainvillea, as a final garnish. Shake hard and long.
“Nights of Pleasure,” from Involuntary Thoughts Henry Alken, 1824. National Sporting Library & Museum.
An entertaining entry is how “To Salvage a Guest from the Effects of Hanging — by Rope, not the Morning After.” Cited as an “Ancient English routine,” the instructions are unusual, and include stripping the victim of clothing, rubbing the body with wool-gloved hands, or placing the victim’s body face-down on the living room rug to perform compression on the lower rib cage. The book knowingly advises:
Don’t dawdle or joke. Hanging is no fun and must be handled quickly or not at all.
John Connolly has served as the George L. Ohrstrom, Jr. Head Librarian at the National Sporting Library & Museum (NSLM) since early 2014. He is responsible for the care of the Library collections, including books, magazines, photographs, diaries, letters, and much more. The NSLM collections span over 350 years of the history of equestrian sport, as well as fly fishing, wing shooting, and other field sports. Have a question? Contact John by e-mail
Recently I discovered a charming little item in the Rare Books Room. It’s what appears to be a tiny book, less than 3 inches high.
Places of Meeting in the Puckeridge Hunt. F. Ambrose Clark Rare Books Room, acquired 2007.
Although quaint, it is not all that unusual in the NSLM collection. We have quite a few miniature books, particularly a collection of Compleat Anglers that contains a number of diminutive editions. However, when I opened this book, I got a bit of a surprise. It is actually a lovely color map of, and guide to, the Puckeridge Hunt territory. Ahead of the folded map there are twelve pages of text.
Places of Meeting in the Puckeridge Hunt. F. Ambrose Clark Rare Books Room, acquired 2007.
The first section gives distances to various meet sites.
Places of Meeting in the Puckeridge Hunt. F. Ambrose Clark Rare Books Room, acquired 2007.
The second lists inns that have facilities to handle hunter horses.
Places of Meeting in the Puckeridge Hunt. F. Ambrose Clark Rare Books Room, acquired 2007.
Finally, railway stations servicing the area are listed.
Places of Meeting in the Puckeridge Hunt. F. Ambrose Clark Rare Books Room, acquired 2007.
Then comes the map.
Places of Meeting in the Puckeridge Hunt. F. Ambrose Clark Rare Books Room, acquired 2007.
The paper is mounted to a fabric backing making the map sturdy and easy to unfold. When unfolded it measures 7 x 8.5 inches. In addition to the usual roads, towns, and landmarks, the map shows 32 meet sites used by The Puckeridge Hunt, across Essex and Hertfordshire.
Although its tiny size and sturdy construction indicate that this was a utilitarian item, meant to be carried and used while in the saddle, that doesn’t preclude a touch of style.
Places of Meeting in the Puckeridge Hunt. F. Ambrose Clark Rare Books Room, acquired 2007.
The red cloth cover is decorated with a gilt pictorial vignette depicting a horseman clearing a fence, making this little map an eye catching accessory. It certainly caught my eye when I opened the clamshell case that it’s stored in at the Library. These little surprises are one of my favorite things about working with the NSLM collections.
Erica Libhart has served as the Mars Technical Services Librarian at the National Sporting Library & Museum (NSLM) since early 2016. The focus of her position is collection services, working to increase accessibility to NSLM’s collection of books, periodicals, and archival materials. The NSLM collections span over 350 years of the history of equestrian sport, as well as fly fishing, wing shooting, and other field sports. Have a question? Contact Erica by e-mail
In the 17th and 18th centuries, the men of England were assaulted by a new and uncomfortable sight: women in masculine clothing! Even worse, these were upper class ladies, and they had donned cavalry-inspired costume to invade the male-dominated pastimes of riding and foxhunting. These daring women were often called ‘Amazons’ and were sometimes ridiculed for their riding habits. In 1666 Samuel Pepys lamented that, if not for their long skirts, these ladies wouldn’t be recognized as women at all! About fifty years later, Richard Steele satirically suggested that Amazons should “complete their triumph over us, by wearing breeches.”
James Seymour (British, 1702 – 1752), A Lady and a Gentleman Riding Out, c. 1740, gouache on paper, 5 5/8 x 7 1/8 inches, Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
Riding habits first emerged in the 16th and 17th centuries as women’s clothing became increasingly restrictive. They needed specific garments- riding habits- in order to sit a horse comfortably and safely. In the 18th century, skilled horsemanship was the domain of the cavalry, and upper class-women adopted the waistcoat, cutaway coat, and simple trims for equestrian pursuit. Ladies were able to wear lightly boned stays which allowed greater range of motion for riding sidesaddle, and durable wool took the place of flowing silk.
Thomas Gooch (British, 1750 – 1802), Marcia Pitt and Her Brother George Pitt, Later second Baron Rivers, Riding in the Park at Stratfield Saye House, Hampshire, 1782, oil on canvas, 27 1/8 x 25 1/8 inches, Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
Despite the lamentations of their male contemporaries, riding habits grew to be popular attire throughout the 1700’s. In fact, Ladies began wearing their habits and other equestrian-inspired fashion as informal gowns, no longer restricted to the hunt field. Ladies made this masculine fashion distinctly feminine, expanding the feminine sphere to include historically unwomanly interests.
Francis Wheatley (British 1747–1801), Mrs. Stevens, c. 1795, oil on canvas, 26 x 18 ½ inches. Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
For example, in the image above, Mrs. Stevens wears a simply cut cavalry coat in fashionable dove gray. We can see that it is tailored to fit tightly, and it is not worn over a masculine style waistcoat. Instead it is pinned to a stomacher, or decorative panel worn over the front of the stays (18th century corset). Likewise, she is sitting serenely in a grove of trees, complete with a stag running in the background. This portrait takes the typical salon portrait of young women day dreaming on padded chairs and wrapped in billowing ruffles and frills, and completely turns it on its head. Here is a new kind of woman, feminine but unafraid of the world around her.
Women in western history have broken rules and changed norms for centuries, and sidesaddle riding and fashion are just one example of that social evolution.
Want to learn more? Visit Sidesaddle, 1690-1935 at NSLM or join us for these programs:
To close out the summer I thought I’d share a story of horses at the beach. No I don’t have photos of horses in lounge chairs or inner tubes, enjoying the sun and surf. I’m referring to the Laytown Strand Races that take place this year on September 6th. Laytown is a small town in Co. Meath on the east coast of Ireland, and each year it hosts the only Turf Club sanctioned beach racing on the Irish and English racing calendar.
This year marks the 150 anniversary of the races. Originally the horses took second billing to the Boyne Regatta. The sailing was held during high tide, while the horses ran later in the day during low tide. In 1901 a local priest who was also a racing aficionado, got involved with the races and turned them into a well-organized event. Until 1994, competing horses charged down the beach to Bettystown, made a U turn and ran back to Laytown for the finish. More recently safety changes have removed the U turn, and the racing today takes place on a straight, level course along the Laytown stand. There are six races on the program, run over distances of between six furlongs and one mile.
For most of the year Laytown strand appears as any other along the coast of Ireland but as race day approaches, a race track gradually materializes.
With the tide out preparations can now be made to prepare the track. Photograph: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images. From The Guardian
An elevated three acre field with a good view of the strand begins to sprout temporary facilities for the big day including a parade ring, judge’s box, betting windows, weigh rooms, ambulance room, the bar, the secretary’s office and the grandstand.
Coreczka, with Oisin Orr riding, powers down the home straight to win the first race of the day, the At The Races Handicap. Photograph: Pat Healy/racingfotos.com/Rex/Shutterstock. From The Guardian.
In earlier days these facilities, as well as the crowd, were often down on the beach and the horses ran through a narrow gauntlet as can be seen in this video clip of the race in 1921 from British Pathe. For safety reasons the beach has been reserved for the horses in more recent years.
To commemorate 150 years of racing on the Laytown beach, the Race Committee has commissioned a book on the history of the races, Laytown Strand Races, celebrating 150 years.
Laytown Strand Races Launch Commemorative Book to Mark 150 Years of Racing on County Meath Beach. Des Scahill, Ted Walsh and Chairman of Laytown Races, Joe Collins Photo: Healy Racing Photography. From Horse Racing Ireland
Written by John Kirwan and edited by Fiona Ahern, the book features interviews, statistics, and historical facts about the Laytown Strand Races. The NSLM Library is working to obtain a copy to add to the collection. If you would like to take a look, please contact me to find out if we’ve received our copy.
Erica Libhart has served as the Mars Technical Services Librarian at the National Sporting Library & Museum (NSLM) since early 2016. The focus of her position is collection services, working to increase accessibility to NSLM’s collection of books, periodicals, and archival materials. The NSLM collections span over 350 years of the history of equestrian sport, as well as fly fishing, wing shooting, and other field sports. Have a question? Contact Erica by e-mail
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Drawing Covert
“Drawing Covert,” refers to the practice in foxhunting of putting hounds in a covert (pronounced like “cover”), a thicket or wooded brush area, to find the fox.
This blog is about the exhibitions, tours, research, programs, and events, at NSLM on its unique collection of books, archives, paintings, sculpture and much more.
