SERIES: Pictorial History of the Sports and Pastimes of All Nations
SCENES: Tobogganing, snowshoeing, ice yachting, ice skating, snow-balling
SIZE: 5" x 3"
ARTIST: Not signed, but reportedly Frances Brundage
DATE: 1893
LITHOGRAPHER: Kaufman & Strauss
CONDITION: Good, I'd say. This card is generally only lightly soiled, but does have a bit of staining on the front near the lower left corner, and on the back in a couple of spots. (Please see scans.) ALSO, there's a sharp horizontal crease, not clearly visible in the scans, running across the lower portion of the card at about the level of the ice skater's neck.
MULTIPLE ITEM SHIPPING DISCOUNT: I will ship up to 4 cards for the single base shipping charge shown. For purchases of more than 4 cards, the shipping charge will increase by just a small increment for every 4 additional cards.
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REVERSE TEXT: CANADA.
THE inhabitants of CANADA are a hearty race, an admixture of French and English with the native Indian stock. The climate of Canada may be termed a cold temperate one. The winters last more than half the year, and are very severe. Ice freezes up all the rivers and streams, and snow covers the ground often to more than a man's depth. To the Canuck, snow and ice, are as the breath to his nostrils. All his sports seek the open air for their arena. Foremost of these sports is tobogganing. Toboggans were originally small sledges to carry provisions from camp to camp. Now they are entirely made and used for the sport, which consists of sliding on these vehicles, down immense inclined planes covered with a surface of ice. The toboggan is usually made of two pieces of thin ash board, fastened with thongs of deer hide. Steel runners are attached below, and the boards are turned up in front.
Snowshoeing is another characteristic Canadian Sport. This is an ancient sport, the first record dating 1180 A.D. Snowshoes are oval-shaped pieces of strong hard-wood, bound together by thongs, making a flat surface of net-work. They are about 5 feet long by 2 feet wide. Attached one each to the foot of an active snow-shoer, he is enabled to skim over the softest snow.
Ice Yachting is another favorite with these northerners. The most ancient record of the ice yacht informs us that it was used by the Hollanders and Finlanders for transporting merchandise. But to-day it is far better known as the vehicle of sport. The ice-yacht is practically a sail-boat with a steel keel. When the wind is favorable, an ice yacht will readily sail at the speed of 90 miles in an hour.
Canadian children disport in similar wise with their elders, skating, snow-balling and coasting being their principal pastimes.
