The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, 1874-1970 Coming Soon
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Sign up for a FREE trialTrace nearly 100 years of British rural history: from spectator sports to industrial farming
After its formation in 1874, The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News became one of several "sister" publications to The Illustrated London News (ILN). Known as Sport and Country from 1943, and Farm and Country from 1957 until the release of its last issue in 1970, this magazine concentrated primarily on sports, hunting, and agriculture. However, though it maintained a focus on farming, it also printed articles on theatre, literature, and music, with contributions from some of the country’s most prominent writers and artists. Boasting nearly 223,000 images from more than 4,200 issues (dated between February 1874 and December 1970), the magazine constitutes the second-largest collection in British Illustrated Periodicals, 1869-1970.
For nearly a century, The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News dedicated its reporting to British rural life. With articles on foxhunting, pheasant shooting, yachting, and polo, as well as frequent updates from the world of horse racing – including events at Royal Ascot and the Epsom Derby – the magazine reflected the interests and leisure activities of the country’s landowning classes. However, over time, its coverage evolved significantly: whilst earlier issues printed and discussed work by celebrated authors such as Bram Stoker and distinguished playwrights such as Noel Coward, later editions highlighted the gradual modernization of farming, and the development of new agricultural machinery and digital technology. Due to both its eclectic coverage and longevity, The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News provides key material for students and researchers of the history of sport, the history of Britain’s countryside, and the history of science and technology.
Contents
The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, 1874-1970...
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Highlights
Licensed to access "Gods from the Machine"
22nd April 1905:
Written at a time when the motor-car was still in its infancy, this short story (images 14-15) portrays contemporary hostility towards motoring, as well as depicting the lack of freedom enjoyed by young women in the 1900s.
Licensed to access "Sport during the Frost"
3rd January 1936:
In stark contrast to the increasingly mild winters experienced in the UK, this article (images 10-11) draws attention to a popular winter pastime of the 1930s: skating on frozen lochs and lakes.
Licensed to access "American Soldier Agriculturalists"
7th January 1944:
Highlighting a relatively understudied aspect of Anglo-American wartime cooperation, this article reports on the agricultural training offered to US soldiers stationed in England.
Licensed to access "Learning to Live with Paper – and Profit by It"
1st August 1966:
At a time when farming was becoming more professionalised, this article (images 49-51) illustrates the contradictory nature of agricultural "modernisation", presenting both the growing adoption of technology in business, and the persistence of gender discrimination.
Insights
Though, in its later years, the publication focused its attention primarily on the world of agriculture, earlier issues provide key insights into Britain’s burgeoning arts scene. For example, at the turn of the twentieth century, The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News printed commentary on the latest furniture designs to come out of the Arts and Crafts movement; the finest works on display at the Royal Society of Painters in Water-colours; and recent productions of Shakespeare at London’s Shaftesbury Theatre.
Louis Wain – a pioneering artist, celebrated for his psychedelic depictions of cats – started his career illustrating animals at country shows, and producing pet-portraits for wealthy clients. Notably, he contributed artwork to The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News for several years during the 1880s, before beginning his long association with The Illustrated London News.
Due to its longevity, The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News reflects some of the most significant changes that occurred within British society over the past two centuries. In particular, the periodical highlights the increasing use of technology in everyday life, depicting the British public’s response to the introduction of the motorcar and, by the 1960s, the incorporation of computers into workplaces.
Whilst its coverage mainly reflected the experiences of Britain’s landowning classes (and, by implication, was oriented towards conservative readers), the publication does reveal the gradual evolution of social attitudes over time. Specifically, The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News frequently reported on the achievements of female athletes, with a particular emphasis on the latest developments in women’s golf and football.
Like several of the other collections in British Illustrated Periodicals, 1869-1970, this collection charts the development of the British advertising industry. In fact, The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News featured adverts for many brands still familiar to consumers today, including Kodak, Burberry, Schweppes, Cadbury’s, and Bovril.
As its original title suggests, The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News reported on some of the most dramatic sporting events of the last century. In 1948, the publication (then known as Sport and Country) covered the Australian cricket team’s famous "Invincibles" tour of England. Captained by Donald Bradman (widely regarded as the greatest cricketer of all time, and then in his final international series), they remain the only men’s Test side to have completed an English tour unbeaten.
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