Spade Collection (#5)

Robert Scarlett, Sexton
Robert Scarlett, also known as Old Scarlett, the Sexton, who died in 1591 aged 98 Date: 16th century

Army chaplain tending British graves, WW1. 1914-1918

Illustration, Gravediggers scene, Hamlet
Illustration to the Gravediggers scene in Shakespeare's play, Hamlet (Act. V, Scene I)

Henry V - after the battle. 1862

A Demon blows corruption into the ear of a Magistrate while Death lies at his feet.. Handcolored engraving by Chretien de Mechel from Hans Holbein's The Triumph of Death

Folio of 97 etchings and drypoints of the Western Front, WW1
Page from a German folio of 97 drypoint etchings of the Western Front, 1914-1918, by W Schimmelpflug, 16th Dragoon Regiment. A dead soldier. Date: 1914-1918

Burying a body, France
Three grave diggers inter a corpse in a cemetery

The Triumph of Death (detail), by Pieter Bruegel the Elder
Pieter Bruegel The Elder, called Peasant Bruegel (1525-1569). The Triumph of Death (detail). Date: circa 1562

A Son of the Soil, 1856 (oil on canvas)
MAN277419 A Son of the Soil, 1856 (oil on canvas) by Collinson, James (1825-81); 30.5x25 cm; Manchester Art Gallery, UK; (add.info)

The Minister's Garden (oil on canvas)
MAN329186 The Minister's Garden (oil on canvas) by Lawson, Cecil Gordon (1849-82); Manchester Art Gallery, UK; © Manchester Art Gallery

Sketch for a Book Illustration (w/c)
XOS5887643 Sketch for a Book Illustration (w/c) by Jacobs, Leroy William (1869-1917); Cleveland Museum of Art, OH, USA; (add.info.: William Leroy Jacobs (1869-1917))

Coal Workers
circa 1930: A group of coal workers in the West Indies, using baskets to carry the coal. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Summer Fun, 1915 (oil on canvas)
989986 Summer Fun, 1915 (oil on canvas) by Elsley, Arthur John (1861-1952); 79.5x109.2 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: Summer Fun. Arthur John Elsley (1861-1952). Oil on canvas

Workman, walking to left, with a Spade over his right Shoulder, 19th century (chalk on paper)
AMO110210 Workman, walking to left, with a Spade over his right Shoulder, 19th century (chalk on paper) by Adler, Jules (1865-1952); Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford, UK; © Ashmolean Museum

Beet Harvest, 1890 (painting)
7333028 Beet Harvest, 1890 (painting) by Claus, Emile (1849-1924); Museum van Deinze en de Leiestreek, Deinze, Belgium; (add.info.: Emile Claus (1849-1924)

Detail of Digging of the Ghent Canal (oil on canvas)
490059 Detail of Digging of the Ghent Canal (oil on canvas) by Garemyn, Jan-Anton (1712-99); Groeningemuseum, Bruges, Belgium; (add.info.: See also 490057.); © Art in Flanders

Church Interior (oil on panel)
LAF470870 Church Interior (oil on panel) by Vliet, Hendrik Cornelisz. van (c.1611-75); 23.3x18.4 cm; Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Ghent, Belgium; © Art in Flanders

Spring (oil on panel)
471430 Spring (oil on panel) by Grimmer or Grimer, Abel (1570-1619); 33x47 cm; Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp, Belgium; © Art in Flanders

Death, Book of Hours, 15th century (manuscript)
7294909 Death, Book of Hours, 15th century (manuscript) by Martorell, Bernardo (fl.1427-52); Archivo Municipal de Historia, Barcelona, Spain; (add.info.: Martorell Bernat (1427 - 1452)); © P

Burying the Regalia of Scotland (oil on canvas)
AGN358257 Burying the Regalia of Scotland (oil on canvas) by Wilkie, David (1785-1841); Private Collection; (add.info.: the Regalia or Scottish Honours are the oldest royal Regalia in Britain; gifts)

Huge snowfalls in Friuli and Cadore, a train hit and blocked by snow on the Pontebba line (colour litho)
2815209 Huge snowfalls in Friuli and Cadore, a train hit and blocked by snow on the Pontebba line (colour litho) by Beltrame

Grace (oil on canvas)
XIR384527 Grace (oil on canvas) by Benard, Jean-Baptiste (fl.1751-c.1789); Musee des Beaux-Arts, Arras, France; (add.info.: La Benedicite; )

The Carrot Puller, 1885 (black chalk on paper)
5861861 The Carrot Puller, 1885 (black chalk on paper) by Gogh, Vincent van (1853-90); 52.5x42.2 cm; The Art Institute of Chicago, IL, USA; (add.info.: by Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890))

Grave robber disturbing the dead (engraving)
STC429624 Grave robber disturbing the dead (engraving) by English School, (18th century); Private Collection; The Stapleton Collection

Digging out and capturing Badgers, illustration from Venationes, Ferarum, Avium, Piscium (Of Hunting: Wild Beasts)
746985 Digging out and capturing Badgers, illustration from Venationes, Ferarum, Avium, Piscium (Of Hunting: Wild Beasts, Birds, Fish), engraved by Jan Collaert (1566-1628), pub

Family living in tent while building the house around them, near Klamath Falls, Oregon, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Family living in tent while building the house around them. Near Klamath Falls, Klamath county, Oregon

Roy Carlock, member of Ola self-help sawmill co-op... Gem County, Idaho, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Roy Carlock, member of Ola self-help sawmill co-op, in front of his new house. He is one of the best hunters in the community and keeps his larder supplied with game during the hunting season

Log house now occupied and enlarged by the Halley family, Bonner County, Idaho, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Log house now occupied and enlarged by the Halley family. Mrs. Halley in doorway with youngest child. Bonner County, Idaho

An International Conference, 1888. Creator: William Rainey
An International Conference, 1888. From, The Graphic. An Illustrated Weekly Newspaper Volume38. July to December, 1888

First World War farming, c. 1915 (poster)
1449145 First World War farming, c.1915 (poster) by Sampson, Joseph Ernest (1887-1946); Private Collection; (add.info.: WWI: FARMING, c)

French and German sappers who meet in the excavation of underground tunnels to reach... (colour litho)
2815717 French and German sappers who meet in the excavation of underground tunnels to reach... (colour litho) by Beltrame

The Earth, 1925 (colour litho)
STC171691 The Earth, 1925 (colour litho) by Barbier, Georges (1882-1932); Private Collection; The Stapleton Collection

The white steed had vanished from their eyes like a wreath of mist, illustration from The High Deeds of Finn
STC323720 The white steed had vanished from their eyes like a wreath of mist, illustration from The High Deeds of Finn, and other Bardic Romances of Ancient Ireland by T.W

Backyard Corner, 1930 (litho)
1069215 Backyard Corner, 1930 (litho) by Gag, Wanda (1893-1946); 38.7x46.4 cm; Dallas Museum of Art, Texas, USA; gift of Robert Janssen; American, out of copyright

Meadow with Copse, from British Artists at the Front, Continuation of The Western Front, Part Three, Paul Nash
STC255951 Meadow with Copse, from British Artists at the Front, Continuation of The Western Front, Part Three, Paul Nash, 1918 (colour litho) by Nash

A Childs Paradise, 1905 (w / c on paper)
XPG379896 A Childs Paradise, 1905 (w/c on paper) by Lillie, Robert (1867-1949); Private Collection

Tumnie (turning up lands), 1877 (albumen silver print)
3617931 Tumnie (turning up lands), 1877 (albumen silver print) by Mallitte, Oscar Jean Baptiste (c.1829-1905); J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles

Ms Hunter 229 f. 2r Cultivating the crops, from the Hunterian Psalter, c. 1170 (pen & ink and tempera on vellum)
GUL51387 Ms Hunter 229 f.2r Cultivating the crops, from the Hunterian Psalter, c.1170 (pen & ink and tempera on vellum) (detail) by English School

MS Hunter 229 f. 2r March, from the Hunterian Psalter, c. 1170 (pen & ink and tempera on vellum)
GUL412300 MS Hunter 229 f.2r March, from the Hunterian Psalter, c.1170 (pen & ink and tempera on vellum) by English School, (12th century); 29.2x19.1 cm; Glasgow University Library

Robin - on spade handle in snow Date: 23-Dec-09

13131252
Golden Retriever Dog, holding spade, wearing beach glasses Date: 05-11-2019

Riggs Expedition
circa 1930: The unearthing of the bones of prehistoric monsters for the Chicago Museum. (Photo by General Photographic Agency/Getty Images)

Spade-Shaped Snuff Bottle with Mock Ox-Head Handles, Qing dynasty (1644-1911), 1780-1880

Spade-Shaped Snuff Bottle, Qing dynasty (1644-1911), 1800-1900. Creator: Unknown
Spade-Shaped Snuff Bottle, Qing dynasty (1644-1911), 1800-1900

Spade-Shaped Snuff Bottle with Basketweave Patterns, Qing dynasty (1644-1911), 1770-1850

Asakusa Imado, from the series "Famous Places in the Eastern Capital (Toto Meisho)
Asakusa Imado, from the series " Famous Places in the Eastern Capital (Toto Meisho)", c. 1832/33. The Tile Kilns at Imado, Asakusa

Spade, 1938. Creator: Herman O. Stroh
Spade, 1938

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"From Welsh Women Road Builders to Royal Engineers: The Spade's Enduring Legacy" In the heart of South Wales, the spade has long been a symbol of resilience and hard work. It witnessed the determination of Welsh women road builders as they paved their way through challenging terrains, leaving behind a lasting mark on their communities. During World War I, it became an indispensable tool for the Rifle Brigade in their strategic positions along the Western Front. With each dig, these brave soldiers fortified their defenses and protected countless lives amidst the chaos of war. Meanwhile, in literature, it found its place in Sense and Sensibility as a gardener's trusted companion. Just like Elinor Dashwood's beloved Edward Ferrars, this humble implement proved essential for nurturing life and tending to nature's beauty. The it also played a vital role during times of social unrest. In 1921, amidst strikes that shook South Wales' coal industry to its core, it was wielded by determined miners who tirelessly picked coal from waste tips – an act of defiance against adversity. When World War II erupted, it took center stage once again with the iconic "Dig for Victory" poster urging citizens to cultivate victory gardens using this very tool. Its handle became a symbol of hope and self-sufficiency during dark times. Over time, technology evolved but never replaced its significance. A man with a mechanical digger in a muddy field reminded us that progress may change our methods but not our reliance on this timeless instrument. Even our furry friends recognize its importance. Picture No. 11992900 captures a golden retriever proudly holding onto his spade while building sandcastles at the beach – reminding us that even playtime can be enriched by embracing tradition. Beyond physical labor or leisurely pursuits lies another facet tied to paper money itself – French Alarmists saw John Bull clutching banknotes tightly with one hand while gripping his trusty spade with the other.