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View Full Version : Canoe Polo originated in the U.K. in 1883?


the deacon
12-09-2008, 07:23 AM
I was PM'ed by Clyde a couple of days ago about an illustration of 'Canoe Water Polo' being sold on eBay, which is from an original copy of the Illustrated London News magazine printed in 1883!

This is an original copy from the ILN which was the magazine of the social and cultural lifestyle of the Brits in the 19th century. The illustration shows a game in play with various people sitting in kayaks playing with a ball on a stretch of water apparently in London somewhere.

As most of you know, I am always eager to find new documentation of the origins of this sport around the world this was a golden opportunity for me to expand my knowledge on the subject.

I have since bought the paper illustration (how could I not do so?) and have also got in contact with the ILN 's archives department to access any text which was included in that paper when it was printed. They will be sending me shortly their a photocopy of their findings.

The implications of this news could be sensational in maybe proving that the game did not originate in Germany in the 1920's as we all know, but could have originated in the U.K. roughly 40 years previously!

As soon as I have a copy of the text I shall update my findings to share this information here on this forum.

Having given this news, please do not forget that I am always open to new contributions of your early experiences in your respective countries on the origins of the game.

The new edition of my book has now documentation of various lengths of these countries in the chronological order they started playing: Germany, France, Great Britain, Australia, Sweden, Denmark, The Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Finland, Belgium, South Africa, Ireland, Portugal, New Zealand, Hungary, The United States of America, Singapore, Japan, Canada and Malaysia.

If your country's origins are not here then please contribute any information that you can obtain to conserve the heritage of the past before it is forgotten forever! :wavey:

the deacon
15-09-2008, 03:09 PM
Guys,
Today I received from the Mary Evans Picture Library (the company which now has custody of the Illustrated London News archives) the photocopy of the text page of the magazine's edition dated September 1st 1883, where an illustration of the game of 'Water Canoe Polo' was shown.

As I do not yet have the permission from the ILN of quoting the entire text, I can briefly say that the article describes a game of 'an acquatica version of Polo, setting a football afloat, and contended by a party of gentlemen in canoes' and that the ball was played 'by the strokes of their paddles' and not by hand!

The text concluded with 'There is a good deal of fun to be got out of Water Polo with many chances of an upsetting and a ducking; but it can hardly be raised to the rank of a scientific or artistic game'.

So with this factual news one can now confirm that the earliest records of the origins of the game can be now be predated from those currently on record in the 1920's showing Germans as the 'early pioneers' to that of the Brits playing the game in 1883! It is also curious to note that those early sportsmen were playing the game by paddle only (early Italian Style !!)

It is correct however to state that Germany was the first country to play the game of canoe polo during the 1920's using a codec with specific rules and regulations.

:twocents:


PS: This research of mine was possible thanks to Clyde who gave me the link to the Ebay page which started to put me on this trail!

Rob Y
15-09-2008, 07:19 PM
Hi,

I found an article online (can't remember where originally but I downloaded a copy of it) which places canoe polo originating in London in 1875, thats some 8years before the print you have

Beginnings
In 1875, Punch, or the London Charivarl,
published a woodcut entitled ‘Polo on the
Sea’. The picture shows men and women in
neck-to-knee bathing costumes standing on
flat topped, double-hulled vessels competing
for the ball with double bladed paddles. The
Graphic, also of London, published an
engraving in 1880 entitled ‘Water Polo at
Hunter’s Quey, Scotland’. But this was quite
different; players sat astride wooden barrels
made-up with horses’ heads and tails. Simply
staying on the horse was challenging enough
as riders were thrown from their
uncooperative charges. Another picture,
‘Water Polo’, from The Graphic in 1884,
shows players in decked canoes.


Now it may be a stretch to get a copy of that original woodcut :D
but I can forward on the article if you like???

Rob

the deacon
16-09-2008, 06:08 AM
Rob,
Yes, yes, yes, yes and yes!
I would really appriciate it if you can give a copy of that article so that I can further update the information and meld it into the history of the sport for others to read about.

It's only through the collective contributions of readers like you that we can conserve the world history of our canoe polo heritage for future generations.
Thanks! :wavey:


Hi,

I found an article online (can't remember where originally but I downloaded a copy of it) which places canoe polo originating in London in 1875, thats some 8years before the print you have




Now it may be a stretch to get a copy of that original woodcut :D
but I can forward on the article if you like???

Rob

DJZiggy
16-09-2008, 07:33 AM
Hi this link might be a help to you, it has got a short history and also refers to the 1875 wood cut out. the page is also refrenced so they might also be some help but i haven't looked at them so i can't say for sure.

http://www.canoe.org.au/default.asp?Page=7497&MenuID=Disciplines%2F97%2F0%2CCanoe+Polo%2F77%2F22 30

Hope it helps

the deacon
16-09-2008, 07:46 AM
Thanks DJZiggy,
Actually I have already seen that page before but thanks for your contribution! The photo shown in that link ' Water Polo. The Graphic, 1884' is actually the same one used in the Illustrated London News in 1883, the original which I have just acquired from Ebay!

On the other hand, the 'infamous' photo of 'Water Polo at Hunter's Quay, Scotland printed in the Graphic in 1880', which many people have erroneously connected to the birth of the sport, (I have already mentioned in my book that it has nothing to do with canoe polo) is an acquatic version of the horse ridden game of Polo.
:twocents::wavey:

Rob Y
16-09-2008, 10:13 AM
Oh well turns out that what I had was just a pdf of the link DJZiggy put up.

If you still want it let dropme a pm with your email, its too large to attach to the thread.

Rob