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Pigeon Geographies: Aesthetics, Organisation, and Athleticism in British Pigeon Fancying, C.1850-1939

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Pigeon Geographies: Aesthetics, Organisation, and Athleticism in British Pigeon Fancying, C.1850-1939 Pigeon Geographies: Aesthetics, Organisation, and Athleticism in British Pigeon Fancying, c.1850-1939 Kate Whiston, BA (Hons), MA Thesis submitted to the University of Nottingham for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy April 2017 Contents List of Figures ....................................................................................................................................... v List of Appendices .............................................................................................................................xv Abstract ............................................................................................................................................... xvi Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................... xvii Chapter 1 Aesthetics, Organisation, and Athleticism: Introduction ............................. 1 Chapter 2 Placing Pigeons: Literature Review ....................................................................... 7 2.1 Finding animals a ‘place’ ...................................................................................................... 9 2.1.1 Animals ‘out of place’ .................................................................................................... 9 2.1.2 Domestication ............................................................................................................... 11 2.2 Breeding Animals................................................................................................................. 17 2.2.1 Institutionalising Breeding ...................................................................................... 18 2.2.2 The Fancy........................................................................................................................ 20 2.3 Displaying Animals ............................................................................................................. 22 2.3.1 Aesthetic Appreciation of Animals ....................................................................... 23 2.3.2 Exhibiting Animals ...................................................................................................... 25 2.3.3 Animals in Captivity ................................................................................................... 28 2.3.4 Picturing Animals ........................................................................................................ 30 2.4 Animals in Sport ................................................................................................................... 33 2.4.1 Human-Animal Relationships in Sport ............................................................... 36 2.5 Avian Geographies............................................................................................................... 39 2.6 A Place for Pigeons .............................................................................................................. 46 2.6.1 Pigeon Showing ............................................................................................................ 46 2.6.2 Pigeon Racing ................................................................................................................ 49 2.7 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 58 Chapter 3 Tracing Pigeons: Methodology .............................................................................. 59 3.1 Pigeon Publications............................................................................................................. 60 i 3.1.1 The Feathered World (est. 1889) ......................................................................... 62 3.1.2 The Racing Pigeon (est.1898) ................................................................................ 66 3.1.3 Books ................................................................................................................................ 70 3.2 Railway Archives.................................................................................................................. 71 3.3 Ephemera on eBay .............................................................................................................. 72 3.3.1 Annuals and Stud Books ........................................................................................... 73 3.3.2 Collectors’ Cards .......................................................................................................... 74 3.3.3 Ethnographic Items .................................................................................................... 76 3.4 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 78 Chapter 4 Putting on a Show: The Social World of Pigeon Exhibition ....................... 79 4.1 The Pigeon Exhibitors ........................................................................................................ 79 4.2 The Clubs ................................................................................................................................. 88 4.3 Governing Pigeon Showing .............................................................................................. 97 4.3.1 The Pigeon Club (est. 1885) .................................................................................... 98 4.3.2 The Marking Conference (est. 1885) ................................................................ 102 4.3.3 The National Pigeon Association (est. 1918) ................................................ 104 4.4 The Shows ............................................................................................................................ 106 4.4.1 The Crystal Palace Show........................................................................................ 113 4.4.2 Profitable Pigeons .................................................................................................... 120 4.4.3 Travelling to Shows ................................................................................................. 124 4.5 In the Showroom ............................................................................................................... 128 4.5.1 Encounters Through the Bars ............................................................................. 131 4.5.2 Judging Pigeons ......................................................................................................... 135 4.6 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................... 141 Chapter 5 Delineating ‘Beauty’: Imagining ‘Ideals’ and Presenting Pigeons ........ 143 5.1 Classifying Pigeons ........................................................................................................... 146 5.2 The ‘Art’ of Breeding........................................................................................................ 153 5.2.1 The Pursuit of ‘Perfection’ .................................................................................... 158 5.3 Standardising Aesthetics ............................................................................................... 162 ii 5.3.1 The Caprices of Pigeon Fanciers ........................................................................ 166 5.4 (Re)Making Fancy Pigeons: ‘Faking’ ......................................................................... 178 5.4.1 ‘Making Faces’ ............................................................................................................ 181 5.4.2 Show Preparation: Drawing the Line ............................................................... 183 5.5 Picturing ‘Perfect’ Pigeons ............................................................................................ 184 5.5.1 Pigeon Artists ............................................................................................................. 185 5.5.2 Framing Pigeons ....................................................................................................... 199 5.5.3 Photographing ‘Beauty’ ......................................................................................... 208 5.6 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................... 214 Chapter 6 On Your Marks: The Social World of Long-Distance Pigeon Racing ... 216 6.1. The Origins of British Long-Distance Pigeon Racing ........................................ 218 6.1.2 Osman and Logan ..................................................................................................... 220 6.2 The Pigeon Racers ............................................................................................................ 227 6.3 The Clubs .............................................................................................................................. 239 6.3.1 The National Flying Club (est. 1897) ............................................................... 247 6.4 The National Homing Union (est. 1896) ................................................................. 256 6.4.1 Splitting the Country ............................................................................................... 261 6.5 ‘Pigeon Traffic’ ................................................................................................................... 266 6.5.1
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