Objects Database

Ski poles

Accession Number

787.2009.1

Object Name

Ski poles

Created

26/01/2009

Creator

Hermione Cooper

Accession Date

26/01/2009

Brief Description

Cane ski poles with red leather straps. Leather and cane baskets and aluminium and metal spikes.

Materials

cane, leather, metal, aluminium

Dimensions

130 (l) x 5 (circumference) cms

Number Of Objects

1 pair

Inscription Description

"SPARTA" and an Ancient Greece head on a gold label on skis.

Colour

brown, red

Maker

Sparta

Provenance

Apart from using a short ski for 'kicking' and a longer one for 'gliding' early skiers only used one pole, the concept of using two poles, or sticks, only becoming popular in the late 1800's, a cross country race at Huseby in Norway in 1888 being one of the first times they were used competitively, though Finnish woodsmen had been using them for a while before that.
At the start of the 20th century, ski sticks were pretty much home made affairs cut from hazel or ash and early ski club journals ran articles on how to make your own. Later there were imports of bamboo from French Indo China which, being lighter, stronger and more flexible, were more suited to the task. Folk still made their own, but as the sport of skiing developed manufacturers saw a market and started producing sticks 'en masse' whilst extolling the various virtues of their own products compared to others. Bamboo gave way to aluminium, plastic, glass fibre, alloy and ultimately carbon fibre. Whilst not going quite that far, we do have an excellent range of sticks in our collection most of which seem to have had an interesting life.
A simple pair of cane poles made by Sparta in near mint condition. A nice leather cane basket and the whole lot dating from the 1950/60's. Not sure who Sparta are unfortunately.

Acquisition Date

26/01/2009

Condition Check Date

28/04/2009

Rules

Spectrum : UK Museum documentation standard, V.3.1 2007

Modified

28/04/2009

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