Ducking Collection

Ducking a Scold - or Duckynge a Scolde. Cartoon showing the medieval practice of ducking women to punish them for a nagging tongue. Date: 1913

U. S. Army soldiers firing a 120mm mortar during combat operations in Afghanistan
October 23, 2007 - U.S. Army soldiers fire a 120mm mortar during combat operations in the Da udzay Valley in the Zabul Province of Afghanistan

The Ducking Stool, Fordwich, Kent Date: 1909

Men Shoveling Chairs (Scupstoel), 1444-50 (pen, ink and chalk)
3746316 Men Shoveling Chairs (Scupstoel), 1444-50 (pen, ink and chalk) by Weyden, Rogier van der (1399-1464) (workshop of); 30x42.6 cm; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

The University Boat Race, Reminiscences of Last Years Contest (engraving)
1053465 The University Boat Race, Reminiscences of Last Years Contest (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The University Boat Race)

Surveying on the New Guinea Coast, a Nocturne (engraving)
1046889 Surveying on the New Guinea Coast, a Nocturne (engraving) by Nash, Joseph (d.1922); Private Collection; (add.info.: Surveying on the New Guinea Coast, a Nocturne)

The House of Commons at Portsmouth (engraving)
1049965 The House of Commons at Portsmouth (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The House of Commons at Portsmouth)

Old Ducking Stool, Fordwich, near Canterbury, Kent. circa 1923

Fordwich Church, Ducking Stool and Ancient Town Hall, Kent
Church of St Mary the Virgin, Ducking Stool and Ancient Town Hall, at Fordwich, Kent. Date: circa 1940s

Ducking for Apples on Halloween (engraving)
663557 Ducking for Apples on Halloween (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Ducking for Apples on Halloween)

A boxing match between Robert Prometheus Fitzsimmons and Bosworth on the day of a bicycle
MNY381280 A boxing match between Robert Prometheus Fitzsimmons and Bosworth on the day of a bicycle race at Manhattan Beach, New York

The way shrews were tamed (engraving)
3629746 The way shrews were tamed (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The way shrews were tamed. Illustration from The Book of Days (W R Chambers, c 1870)

Crossing the Line (engraving)
3625180 Crossing the Line (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Crossing the Line. Illustration for Chatterbox (1879)

Duck Diving, c. early 1900s (colour woodblock print)
UCL284466 Duck Diving, c. early 1900s (colour woodblock print) by Koson, Ohara (1877-1945); UCL Art Museum, University College London, UK; eUCL Art Museum, University College London; Japanese

Sea Urchins (engraving)
1107214 Sea Urchins (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Sea Urchins. Illustration for The Illustrated London News)

Ducking Stool, River Stour, Canterbury, Kent, England circa 2008

Ducking stool punishment for a Jamestown woman
Jamestown woman led to the ducking stool for public humiliation, 1600s. Hand-colored halftone reproduction of a 19th-century illustration

Ducking Stool Used In The 15Th Century. From The National And Domestic History Of England By William Aubrey Published London Circa 1890

West End riots: mob in St James street, 1886
A mob in St James Street, opposite the new university club. Following at an open air meeting of unemployed East End dock workers and artisans in Trafalgar Square

West End riots: ducking an unpopular speaker, 1886
Ducking an unpopular speaker at an open air meeting of unemployed East End dock workers and artisans in Trafalgar Square. The people were stirred to violence following incendiary speeches

Illustration of Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) ducks swimming and ducking for food in pond and birds flying in sky

U. S. Army soldiers firing an M120 120mm mortar system in Mahmadiyah, Iraq
March 26, 2009 - U.S. Army soldiers fire an M120 120mm mortar system during training for Iraqi soldiers in Mahmadiyah, Iraq

U. S. Marines brace themselves while firing a 60mm mortar round
September 21, 2011 - U.S. Marines brace themselves while firing a 60mm mortar round during Exercise Clear, Hold, Build 3 on Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California

A U. S. Marine fires a mortar in Salinas, Peru
July 10, 2010 - A U.S. Marine fires a mortar in Salinas, Peru. The Marines were embarked aboard transport dock ship USS New Orleans in support of Partnership of the Americas/Southern Exchange

A U. S. Army soldier ducking away from the blast of a 120-mm mortar in Afghanistan
March 26, 2008 - A U.S. Army soldier ducks away from the blast of a 120-mm mortar during operations south of Forward Operating Base Naray, Afghanistan

The direct-lay method of firing mortars
The Marines employed the direct-lay method of firing mortars, which consists of using the mortars sights and using observers to verify range and determine correct impact location

U. S. Marines fire an M252 81mm mortar system
June 8, 2011 - U.S. Marines fire an M252 81mm mortar system during a live-fire exercise as part of Sea Breeze 2011 in Odessa, Ukraine

Title page, illustration from The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens (1812-70)
KW259137 Title page, illustration from The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens (1812-70) published 1837 (litho) by Browne, Hablot Knight (Phiz) (1815-92); Private Collection; Ken Welsh; English

Rough Seas
circa 1925: Children dodging the waves and spray during high seas in Massachusetts. (Photo by Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

Mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos) in water with head submerged and tail raised, view from behind

Barn owl (Tyto alba) perching on a rock, close-up, side view

Scottish Wild Cat (Felis silvestris grampia) ducking under tree, looking at camera, side view

Ducking punishment, historical artwork C017 / 6840
Ducking punishment. Historical artwork of the medieval punishment of immersion or ducking being carried out on a fraudulent baker. This engraving dates from 1888

Hallowe en in New York - ducking for plums. Illustration shows Charles F. Murphy holding Father Knickerbocker, a symbolic figure for New York City, his hands bound behind his back

View of village pond in evening sunshine, supposedly last site of witch swimming or ducking, The Grimmer, Wickham Skeith, Suffolk, England, september

Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula) subadult, ducking defensively as territorial adult passes just overhead, standing in shallow water on beach, Shetland Islands, Scotland, september

Ordeal by Ducking
ORDEAL BY DUCKING The suspect is bound and thrown into a river; if he drowns he is innocent, if he floats he is guilty

THE PRIVATEER DUKE
Duke, the ship in which Captain Woodes Rogers made his global expedition, harassing Spanish shipping, and finding Alexander Selkirk on the isle of Juan Fernandez

Maypole (Casella)
Country people dance round the maypole, the girls ducking in and out of the ring formed by the men

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"Ducking: A Journey Through Time and Traditions" Ducking has been a practice deeply rooted in history, taking on various forms and purposes. From ducking a scold to the infamous ducking stool in Fordwich, Kent, this act has left its mark across different cultures and eras. In times of war, such as during combat operations in Afghanistan, even soldiers had to master the art of ducking. As U. S. Army soldiers fired a 120mm mortar, their survival often depended on swiftly ducking for cover amidst chaos. But it wasn't just wartime where people found themselves subjected to this peculiar ritual. In 1612 England, Mary Sutton was suspected of witchcraft and endured the terrifying ordeal of being swum while restrained - an engraving capturing her anguish forever frozen in time. Interestingly enough, not all instances were meant to punish or accuse individuals. Take "Men Shoveling Chairs" from 1444-50; here we see men diligently working together with pen, ink, and chalk as they meticulously construct chairs - perhaps preparing for some grand event where guests would soon be seated without any need for ducking. Sports too have witnessed moments intertwined with this theme. The University Boat Race evokes reminiscences of last year's contest through an enchanting engraving that showcases rowers skillfully navigating their boats while strategically avoiding obstacles along the way – almost like ducks gracefully gliding through water. Even surveyors ventured into uncharted territories under moonlit skies as depicted in "Surveying on the New Guinea Coast. " Their dedication to mapping out new lands required them to brave treacherous conditions while never losing sight of their goal – much like ducks who navigate unknown waters with unwavering determination. The House of Commons at Portsmouth stands tall in an engraved masterpiece that captures both power dynamics and political debates within its walls. Here politicians engage in verbal jousts akin to ducks quacking, each trying to make their voice heard above the rest.