Images from Tideway Week

How they train for the Great Boat Race – 1910.

In the week preceding the Oxford - Cambridge Boat Race, the crews, coaches and support staff move to residences near Putney to train daily over the course. By this stage of their training, the hard work is done and the work is light and technical. It is an opportunity for the coxswains especially to hone their knowledge of the course. It is also during this week that the rowing and non-rowing press start to write about the race and all concerned get very used to having their photograph taken at every opportunity. In these days of sponsorship and PR, the coaches reluctantly but dutifully attempt to answer questions (though without actually saying anything beyond that they are well prepared and confident). A report on the Friday Press Conference is on the Boat Race website.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Putney Embankment 2014.

Putney Embankment 1882, the Hanlan – Trickett race.

Mr. Trapmore coaching Cambridge, 2014.

Mr. Muttlebury coaching Cambridge, 1892.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the press, 2014.

Gentlemen of the press, 1880.

Practice at Putney, 2014.

Practice at Putney, 1877.

Images of Oxford.

Oxford are based at the Westminster School Boathouse (with ‘JH Clasper’ on the gable end). They are flying their dark blue flag while next door, Crabtree (Cambridge alumni) flies the light blue of Cambridge and the gold of Goldie.

Coach Sean Bowden gives good advice passing Barn Elms.

Passing Harrods.

Approaching Hammersmith Pier.

Nearly home. Approaching Putney Bridge.

Capturing Cambridge.

Hammersmith Bridge

Nearing Harrods.

Near Barn Elms.

Helge Gruetjen (5) and Matthew Jackson (6).

A last burst before going in.

The view from the Media Centre (aka Thames Rowing Club).

Caught from the balcony of Thames RC - the ‘Spare Men’s Race’. In my recent report on the Henley Boat Races, I said that there were nine Oxford - Cambridge Boat Races (vets and men's and women's Blue boats, reserves, lightweights and Head of the River crews). I forgot this event - which makes it ten. The veteran women will be the next addition I suppose.

The Cambridge Press Conference.

The 2014 Umpire, Richard Phelps, in front of a picture of his grandfather, Dick Phelps, who won Doggett’s in 1923.

A Stuck-Up Oarsman?

He looks pompous or a little stuck-up, the oarsman in the picture above. He was one of England’s best oarsmen during the late 1880s and he rowed for Cambridge in five Light Blue crews, becoming a true legend, winning The Boat Race in 1886, 1887, 1888 and 1889, and losing in 1890; president of CUBC  the last three years. Yes, of course, I am talking about Stanley Duff Muttlebury, who was all but pompous and stuck-up. He was a large and strong man, with good manners and an enormously kind fellow. Affectionately known by Cambridge rowers as ‘Muttle’, he not only swept rowing medals and cups at Cambridge, Muttlebury was equally successful at Henley (though he never won the Grand). Many decades after his active rowing career was over, Muttle was still regarded as the ‘the greatest oar ever produced by Cambridge’.

Muttle’s friend, Rudie Lehmann wrote about him in verse:

Muttle at six is ‘stylish’, so at least the Field reports;

No man has ever worn, I trow, so short a pair of shorts.

His blade sweeps through the water, as he swings his 13.10,

And pulls it all, and more than all, that brawny king of men.

Muttle coaching the Light Blue crew in 1892.

Muttle was, however, less successful as a coach for the Light Blues during the 1890s, but to be fair, the Dark Blues had some extremely good crews between 1890 and 1898. He was one of SPY’s rowing characters in Vanity Fair, actually the only one portrayed in a boat. He died 80 years ago, on 3 May, 1933, 67 years old.

Auction Watch

HTBS's Greg Denieffe writes,

The next Sporting Memorabilia auction by Graham Budd Auctions will be held on 13 and 14 May 2013. The full catalogue is here.

The ‘Rowing’ section is to be held on 13 May and consists of lots 214-218 and they are described in the auction catalogue as follows:

Lot 214 - Three pewter Wadham College Oxford ‘Fours’ rowing trophies.
Comprising: a pair of ‘First Prize’ double-handled tankards for 1876 and 1877, complete with the names of the crews and coxswain and bearing the college crest, glass bases (one cracked), height 14.5 cm., 5 3/4in., the other a single handled lidded tankard ‘Scratch Fours’ trophy for 1879, also with a glass base, height 16cm., 6 1/4in., all three manufactured by James Dixon & Sons and retailed by Rowell of Oxford. The name of Charles J.Rae (Coxswain) is common to all three trophies and he was almost certainly the recipient. He was born in Alexandria, Egypt in 1858.
Estimate £150-250

“One of the Presidents” by Spy, Vanity Fair 22 March 1890.

Lot 215 - Five Vanity Fair prints including three oarsmen.
Comprising A C Bourne [A C Bourne is a misprint and should read R C Bourne], Lord Ampthill and Mr S D Muttlebury; sold together with the golfers Horace Harold Hilton & H Mallaby-Deeley mostly by Spy; the lot also including a Vanity Fair style print for 'Titch' of the Cambridge University Rugby Football Club, the group a mixture of framed & folio (6)
Estimate £120-150

Lot 216 - A photographic presentation of Cambridge Town Rowing Club 1913.
Two period photos in a double mount with manuscript legend, published by Stearn & Sons, Cambridge, mounted, framed & glazed, overall 78 by 45cm, 3 by 18in.
Estimate £100-150

Lot 217 - A photograph album relating to rowing at Cambridge University in 1926.
Numerous professional black and white photographs of the college, its rowers and competition, some loose photographs within the album as well.
Estimate £150-250

Lot 218 - A small poster for the 1955 European Rowing Championships at Gent.
Published in Belgium, backed onto linen, 28 by 20cm, 11 by 8in.
Estimate £75-100

The Watersportbaan is a five lane rowing race course in the Belgian city of Ghent that was first used in 1954. The Wikipedia page has a fine picture of the 1906 Grand Challenge Cup winners - Royal Club Nautique de Gand. They retained the ‘Grand’ in 1907 but were not allowed to compete at Henley Royal Regatta the following year although they did not wish to anyway! See lot 393 below.

HTBS readers will also be interested in two lots not included in the rowing section. The first, lot 3, is included in the ‘General & Mixed Sports’ section and the second, lot 393 in the ‘Olympic Games & Athletics’ section, being held on the 14 May.

Lot 3 - Desborough of Taplow (The Right Hon. Lord) Fifty Years of Sport at Oxford, Cambridge, Eton, Harrow and Winchester.
Various editors, published in 3 large volumes, 2 in 1913 in deluxe boards and the third in standard boards published in 1922
Estimate £75-100

Lot 393 - A superb and very large period photograph of the London 1908 Olympic Games Regatta at Henley.
The image in fine condition and measuring 70 by 96cm, 27½ by 37¾ in, mounted with original printed title reading THE OLYMPIC REGATTA, HENLEY, JULY 31st 1908, FINAL, LEANDER v BELGIUM, and with a printed legend beneath detailing the crews and result, under glass in original wooden frame, overall 101 by 124cm, 40 by 49in.
Estimate £600-800

There are many similar photographs on the internet: The following one was taken a few seconds before the one in lot 393 but from a slightly different angle. The finish judge has the flag raised, ready to declare Leander as Olympic Champions. The progress board, if that is what it was called in 1908, has the crews as BELGIUM and LEANDER. Great Britain had two crews in the event, Cambridge, winners of a bronze medal, being the second.  There were only four events in 1908 and both loosing semi-finalists were awarded bronze medals. Belgium was represented by Royal Club Nautique de Gand. You will find a list of all the medallists here.

The two-day sale takes place in the saleroom at Sotheby's, 34-35 New Bond Street, London, W1A 2AA.