c1882 Harvard vs. Yale Sterling Boat Race Trophy P/U

[CarltonHendricks]

In Custody

If it's not too sac-religious on Day 6 of the World Series...Here's a rowing trophy I picked up recently...

I see a lot of trophies...and a lot of Harvard Yale stuff...and a lot of rowing trophies...cups, tankards and all...a lot from later like the turn of the century and the 20's and so on...most are ho-hum...But I don't ever recall a Harvard Yale trophy this early for the varsity crews..1882...

It's a subtle little thing...not big and ornate the way I like my trophies...only 5 3/4" tall...but the relief of the oarsman and the engraving are very fine with crisp definition...I like that it gives Chalfant's position in the boat as No. 7...and their time for the race...If I'm not mistaken I think in my quick cursory research I read Yale was using some sort of new techniques, or new boat or something...and had run into the reeds during the race...and that put Harvard ahead...

I've had it a few weeks and still haven't had time to deep research it further...I emailed rowing historian Tom Weil to learn more...and it turned out he was the underbidder...Based on his reply I think it's even more rare than I was thinking it was...Below our conversation

To: Tom Weil, Rowing Historian, Mystic Seaport Museum
Tom, How are you...all good here...Yesterday I picked up the c1882 Harvard vs. Yale boat race trophy cup above...the scarves on their heads had me....plus it’s fairly early and sterling...I assume each of the eight crew team members and cox would have received one of these...This is the first I’ve heard of individual trophies being given out like this...Q. Have you seen this before...was this common?...Once I get it and can see the makers mark I’ll be interested to see who the silversmith was....Tom please be so kind to advise anything you would know about this trophy...

This sort of opens up some questions I‘m starting to think about it...like why is this the first individual cup like this I’ve seen?...It’s sterling and well done enough that it’s doubtful the other eight given to the other crew would have been discarded...so they are probably out there some where...maybe in the possession of ancestors...No doubt there would have been a larger one given to the winning school to put in their trophy case...Considering there would have been a big trophy given to the winning school every year....that’s a lot of trophies...where are they all at now??...As you know when I toured both the Harvard and Yale trophy collections in 2011 I didn’t see many if any such trophies...However!!!! I did not tour the boathouses!!!...This has now prompted me...next time I’m in New England...I’d like to go thru the boathouses to see what’s there!!

The minor dings should be easy for a silversmith to fix...see attached bio of the recipient William Chalfant Jr....dropped out of Harvard (like Bill MS Gates)...but appears to have gone on to a successful banking career...
-Carlton
www.SportsAntiques.com

REPLY

Carlton -
This was bound to happen some time. I was the underbidder. You’d have got it quite a bit cheaper if I hadn’t been in the game. I had pretty much the same reactions you did. What was the deal for trophies for races in that era.
Yale won the 1881 race. Attached is a picture of a trophy for that race that I bought many years ago. I assumed at the time that it was a one-off piece awarded to, or created by, the team. Just a month or two ago, a guy got in touch with me who had another copy of the trophy - identical form - which suggests that every member of the crew got one.

I concluded the same when I saw this piece. Very different approach - a nice little sterling cup vs. a big hunking silver plate monster. One big difference - the Yale trophy has everyone’s name on it, and the Harvard trophy just has the individual’s name.

The Childs Cup is reputed to be the oldest U.S. standing rowing trophy (i.e. each successive race winner takes possession of the cup until the next year). It was given in 1879 to the winner of the annual regatta among Pennsylvania, Princeton and Columbia, suggesting that it was not the practice at that time to have standing trophies.

I am embarrassed to say that I do not know how old the Yale-Harvard race trophy is (the Sexton Cup). I do have a spectacular trophy pewter canister from the 1890 Yale-Harvard race that was given to one of the Yale oarsmen, and I have seen other copies of that same award, so I’m guessing that the practice of giving awards to individuals in the winning crew went on for some time.
So, ALL CAPS responses to your comments / questions.
Best,
Tom

it’s doubtful the other eight given to the other crew would have been discarded...so they are probably out there some where...maybe in the possession of ancestors…

THIS IS A MYSTERY, ISN’T IT, BUT THIS SEEMS TO BE THE WAY THINGS HAPPEN, AND, REMEMBER, A LOT OF SILVER GOT MELTED SOME YEARS AGO WHEN THE HUNTS WENT ON THEIR TEAR.

No doubt there would have been a larger one given to the winning school to put in their trophy case…Considering there would have been a big trophy given to the winning school every year....that’s a lot of trophies...where are they all at now??…

AS STATED ABOVE, I DON’T THINK THIS WAS THE CASE UNTIL SPECIFIC “STANDING" TROPHIES GOT DEDICATED FOR PARTICULAR REGATTAS, WHICH TOOK A WHILE (AND IT IS STILL HAPPENING). THE BIGGER QUESTION IS, WHAT WAS THE PRACTICE OF GIVING TROPHIES TO ANYONE?

THE EARLY PRACTICE TENDED TO BE PRIZES FOR INDIVIDUALS, IF ANY PRIZES WERE GIVEN AT ALL. BUT THIS COULD GET EXPENSIVE, SO I THINK MOST US COLLEGIATE RACING DID NOT GENERATE PRIZES. THIS MAY, IN FACT, HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE REASONS THAT THE PRACTICE OF BETTING RACING SHIRTS ORIGINATED AROUND 1910 - IT WAS A VERY VISCERAL AND PERSONAL PRIZE, AND IT WOULD TYPICALLY HAVE BEEN THE ONLY PRIZE AVAILABLE.

SO, BOTTOM LINE, YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THAT MANY “SCHOOL” TROPHIES BECAUSE THERE WAS PROBABLY NEVER A PRACTICE OF GIVING THEM OUT ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.