Sports
The Regency approach to men’s fashion was also influenced by an increasing emphasis on physical activity and fitness as an attractive, gentlemanly enterprise. Driving, horse racing, pedestrianism, boxing, fencing, and hunting were all commonly undertaken. Gymnastics was an option as well. Not all gentlemen participated directly, of course; wagering (including upon the outcomes of sporting activities) was one of the most popular forms of gambling, along with playing cards. The images above the case here depict two major pastimes for Regency gentlemen: hunting and horse racing. Two of the most prominent writers about sporting pastimes, Pierce Egan (pugilism) and George Tattersall (of the most famous Regency stable for acquiring horses, Tattersall’s) have several works in this exhibition.
