Limited Edition of 250 only

Hardback £19.99

Brian Robinson, himself a photographer, decided to produce this limited edition book as a tribute to the skills of Mr H G Parsons – a photographer in the early 1900s.

Bearing in mind these photographs are nearly 100 years old they are in remarkable condition and Mr Parsons was evidently highly skilled at retouching, since none of the horses’ handlers appear in the pictures – but they were there once!

This is a simply presented book but one that speaks volumes about the Shire horse of a century ago and its value and place in society. The very first plate depicts a horse whose equal simply could not be found today – his legs appear to be the size of telegraph poles, obviously massive bone was the order of the day. Compared with Shire horses of today the animals featured in this book look a stronger, more robust type of horse altogether. They were still the most mobile source of power of their time but, presumably, as the requirement for them as working horses diminished, ‘fashion’ demanded a lighter, taller individual.

This book carries no text except the breeding details of each animal, its owner and breeder, plus a record of successes in the show ring. These are surprisingly revealing and they evidently played an important role in providing a ‘shop window’ for good breeding stock. Stallions competed for premiums of £300 to stand in certain areas – a high price in today’s terms! In fact, some sale prices are mentioned and from these it is easy to gauge just how greatly valued these horses were – rather more than many racehorses of their era!

Mr H G Parsons, (we do not know his first name), originally published this collection of photographs in 1907 and it would be interesting to know why he travelled so much of the country that year in order to record the great Shire horses of the era … … was it a commission perhaps, or a labour of love? Either way we should be grateful to him - and to Brian Robinson for republishing these historic pictures for our enjoyment nearly a century later.

"Champions of Yesteryear" can be obtained direct from the publisher:

Brian Robinson
72 Oak Street
Church Gresley
Swadlincote
South Derbyshire
England
Tel: 00 44 (0)1283 551293

Price: £19.99 (approximately $32 USD)

+ Postage & Packing

UK P&P £3.00
Eire & Europe P&P £4.50
USA & Canada P&P £7.50 ($12 USD)
Australia & Far East P&P £8.50 ($14 USD)

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