The Olympics may be over for another four years, but here in the Kansas prairie, we’re still digging out from last week’s epic snowstorm. Time to break out the snowshoes! Thankfully, I have your much-needed fix of Victorian winter sports!
It seems to be a universal, historical truth: everyone loves snow days—no matter where you’re from, how old you are, or what century you’re living in. And why not? Might as well make the best of the white stuff.
Read More: The Victorian Olympic Spirit
Charles Parsons, “Central Park Skating,” 1862
Ice skating has been around for thousands of years, but the Victorians naturally found a way to make it a commercial proposition. The world’s first artificial ice rink, the Glaciarium, opened in London in 1844, although the technology proved difficult to maintain.
But what a wonder it must have been while it lasted!
Again, leave it to the Victorians to develop specialized skating attire. Here’s a woman’s skating costume from the 1870s:
The brilliantly well-preserved colors (thanks to the latest chemical dye technology) suggest it was not worn all that often, although it would have made this skater easy to spot in a blizzard!
This girl’s ensemble is a wise choice for the young Skating Detective who wishes to remain incognito in her Investigations
Skiing was another ancient sport embraced by 19th century athletes—and aspiring athletes, like one mystery author of your acquaintance.
Arthur Conan Doyle on a holiday to Switzerland in 1893. He later wrote of his experience in an article for “The Strand.” (I wasn’t actually thinking of Sherlock Holmes plunging to his death at Reichenbach Falls, but the inspiration might well be there…)
More photos of Doyle’s ski holiday are available at The Conan Doyle Estate website.
This Scandinavian skiier (circa 1900) seems to have a better grasp of the fundamentals.
Serious athletes posing with their equipment
Hooked on curling? You’re in good company.
Illustration from Harpers Young People of 1882
Curling was an international sensation–these women are competing in New Zealand
And a natural evolution of a popular women’s sport of the day, we also have ice hockey!
A hockey team at an indoor rink in Canada in 1900 (Either they’d worked out the kinks in keeping artificial ice frozen indoors, or they’ve merely capitalized on one of Canada’s natural resources, and put a roof over it.)
Now that our odd winter weather is a brilliant combination of 60 degrees and eight inches of snow, I might just pop on my own snowshoes and go for a jaunt. I shall be sure to wear my most colorful attire….
A fun, snowy post! 🙂