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Getting hooked

Photograph
1908 (photographed), 1973 (printed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Andrew Pitcairn-Knowles (born Rotterdam 1871, died Hastings 1956) was a pioneering photographic journalist who published his work in the new illustrated magazines of the late 19th and early 20th century. From the turn of the century he travelled around Europe, living in Berlin, Brussels, Paris and Jersey. With his eye for detail, timing and geometry, he accurately captured the leisure activities, sports and customs of the period. Besides their documentary value, his photographs have a quirky and almost surreal quality.
Leisure time is the main theme of Andrew Pitcairn-Knowles’ work. It is his biggest interest as such and can also be found in his ‘sports photography’ (a term which in fact sometimes has been used including leisure activities like travel en picnicking) and to a lesser extent, in his photographs about customs. Leisure time emerged in the late nineteenth century in the industrialized West, which resulted in new forms of leisure activities. Pitcairn-Knowles was particularly interested in big organised festivities and events such as competitions like dog racing, horse racing, fairs, the derby, markets and the carnival. He photographed the higher classes as well as the lower classes: from neatly dressed ladies in a rabbit race contest to a boy catching rats for rat-baiting. In almost every series the spectators play a big role.
At the seaside resort of Ostend, Belgium, Pitcairn-Knowles combined his passion for sports and games with his interest in people and their customs. He recorded all kinds of leisure activities on and near the beach: the motor races, dog races, shrimpers, and children riding sand yachts.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Titles
  • Getting hooked (assigned by artist)
  • Automobile Gymkhana - Ostend 1908 (series title)
Materials and techniques
Gelatine-silver print, glued on cardboard
Brief description
Photograph by Andrew Pitcairn-Knowles, 'Getting hooked', from the series 'Automobile Gymkhana-Ostend 1908', 1908, gelatin silver print
Physical description
This photograph shows a man pulling a ring from a pole (or putting one on) when driving a car. Next to him sits a woman with a hat, in the background you see the spectators watching the man.
Dimensions
  • Height: 40.3cm
  • Width: 50.3cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'AUTOMOBILE GYMKHANA - OSTEND 1908' (Donor's writing (probably), verso, pencil.)
  • '"Getting Hooked"' (Donor's writing, verso, pencil.)
  • '13/8' (Donor's reference, verso, pencil.)
  • 'ANDREW PITCAIRN-KNOWLES 1871-1956 / PRINT FROM THE ORIGINAL GLASS NEGATIVE / COPYRIGHT / Richard Pitcairn-Knowles / 46 Greenhill Road Otford Sevenoaks TN14 5RS / 01959-523154 / NO UNAUTHORIZED REPRODUCTION' (Verso, stamp.)
Credit line
Purchased through the Cecil Beaton Royalties Fund
Object history
Pitcairn-Knowles Archive purchased from Andrew Pitcairn-Knowles' grandson Richard Pitcairn-Knowles.
Historical context
Andrew Pitcairn-Knowles (born Rotterdam 1871, died Hastings 1956) was a pioneering photographic journalist who published his work in the new illustrated magazines of the late 19th and early 20th century. From the turn of the century he travelled around Europe, living in Berlin, Brussels, Paris and Jersey. With his eye for detail, timing and geometry, he accurately captured the leisure activities, sports and customs of the period. Besides their documentary value, his photographs have a quirky and almost surreal quality.
Leisure time is the main theme of Andrew Pitcairn-Knowles’ work. It is his biggest interest as such and can also be found in his ‘sports photography’ (a term which in fact sometimes has been used including leisure activities like travel en picnicking) and to a lesser extent, in his photographs about customs. Leisure time emerged in the late nineteenth century in the industrialized West, which resulted in new forms of leisure activities. Pitcairn-Knowles was particularly interested in big organised festivities and events such as competitions like dog racing, horse racing, fairs, the derby, markets and the carnival. He photographed the higher classes as well as the lower classes: from neatly dressed ladies in a rabbit race contest to a boy catching rats for rat-baiting. In almost every series the spectators play a big role.
At the seaside resort of Ostend, Belgium, Pitcairn-Knowles combined his passion for sports and games with his interest in people and their customs. He recorded all kinds of leisure activities on and near the beach: the motor races, dog races, shrimpers, and children riding sand yachts.
Subjects depicted
Summary
Andrew Pitcairn-Knowles (born Rotterdam 1871, died Hastings 1956) was a pioneering photographic journalist who published his work in the new illustrated magazines of the late 19th and early 20th century. From the turn of the century he travelled around Europe, living in Berlin, Brussels, Paris and Jersey. With his eye for detail, timing and geometry, he accurately captured the leisure activities, sports and customs of the period. Besides their documentary value, his photographs have a quirky and almost surreal quality.
Leisure time is the main theme of Andrew Pitcairn-Knowles’ work. It is his biggest interest as such and can also be found in his ‘sports photography’ (a term which in fact sometimes has been used including leisure activities like travel en picnicking) and to a lesser extent, in his photographs about customs. Leisure time emerged in the late nineteenth century in the industrialized West, which resulted in new forms of leisure activities. Pitcairn-Knowles was particularly interested in big organised festivities and events such as competitions like dog racing, horse racing, fairs, the derby, markets and the carnival. He photographed the higher classes as well as the lower classes: from neatly dressed ladies in a rabbit race contest to a boy catching rats for rat-baiting. In almost every series the spectators play a big role.
At the seaside resort of Ostend, Belgium, Pitcairn-Knowles combined his passion for sports and games with his interest in people and their customs. He recorded all kinds of leisure activities on and near the beach: the motor races, dog races, shrimpers, and children riding sand yachts.
Bibliographic reference
Pitcairn-Knowles, Richard. The Edwardian eye of Andrew Pitcairn-Knowles 1871-1056. Sussex: The Book Guild Ltd, 2000.
Other number
13/8 - Donor's reference
Collection
Accession number
E.3637-2004

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Record createdMay 23, 2006
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