Men’s Hunting Ensemble, Scotland, 1825-30 (for 1826)
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Hunting was formerly a royal sport, and to an extent still is, with many Kings and Queens being involved in hunting and shooting. Shooting on the large estates of Scotland was particularly popular. Part of the reason sport hunting was considered a past time for the wealthy was the sheer space required to conduct a successful run. If one did not have the means to own or maintain a country estate or “Grouse Moor” in Scotland, their next best hope was to be invited to join a shooting party at the home of some acquaintance or other. Endless rounds of house parties were an expected part of fall and winter entertainment. Hunting on someone else’s land was considered poaching (theft), the the penalties for such activities were severe, sometimes resulting in deportation or even hanging.
Until the mid 1800′s (when the jumping pommel was invented for the side saddle) the sport of fox hunting remained purely masculine. Ladies were advised to “ride to the meet and home again to work up an appetite” and while many did choose to ride to the hunt, a few followed the hunt in their carriages, keeping to the roads and lanes rather than going cross-country. Grand picnics and “Hunt Balls” were often organized as a way of bringing a societal aspect to this otherwise male dominated sport.
Text from janeausten.co.uk
(via facinator)
