Spade Collection

"A Holiday at Berwick Restores Youthful Vigour", tourism poster, 1913 (litho)
BUT95951 " A Holiday at Berwick Restores Youthful Vigour", tourism poster, 1913 (litho) by Clements, R.C. (fl.1913); 62x100 cm; Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough Record Office, Northumberland

Royal Engineers
circa 1850: An officer of the Royal Engineers gives orders to two privates. Rischgitz Collection (Photo by Rischgitz/Getty Images)

Rifle Brigade in position, Western Front - WWI
The First Battalion of the British Rifle Brigade in position close to the German trenches under shell fire - WWI. Date: circa 1915

Welsh women road builders, South Wales
A group of twenty Welsh women road builders in Pembrokeshire, Dyfed, South Wales, holding their spades. They built the road to Hook in 1903-4 to facilitate transport to the colliery

Dig for Victory poster - WWII
World War Two poster encouraging British civilians to dig for victory, featuring somebody doing just that

Picking coal from waste tip during 1921 strike, South Wales
Three men picking coal from a local colliery waste tip during the 1921 strike, South Wales

Gardener from Sense and Sensibility
The gardeners lamentation upon blights, an illustration to Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, first published 1811. Date: 1908

Man with mechanical digger in a muddy field
A man working next to a mechanical Hy-Mac digger in a muddy field. Perhaps the digger has got stuck in the mud, and he is trying to dig it out

DOG. Golden retriever holding spade with sandcastles
JD-21286 DOG. Golden retriever holding spade with sandcastles John Daniels Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in anyway

Portrait of Billie Holiday and Mister, Downbeat, New York, N.Y. ca. Feb. 1947. Creator: William Paul Gottlieb
Portrait of Billie Holiday and Mister, Downbeat, New York, N.Y. ca. Feb. 1947

Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, Tsarevitch, Grand Duchess Tatian
Tsar Nicholas II of Russia pictured with two of his children, the Grand Duchess Tatiana and Alexei, the Tsarevitch, building a fortification from snow in the grounds of the Imperial Palace at

Picture No. 11992900
Robin, two Robins on spade handles in winter snow Date:

Ruins of Petworth boys school, 29th September 1942
Buildings after being bombed. Military personnel clearing rubble from bomb site. 29 September 1942. George Garland Collection West Sussex Record Office Ref No: Garland N21852

Comic postcard, Little girl at the seaside, marooned on a pile of sand. Date: 20th century

Captain L. E. G. Oates by the Stable Door, 30 August 1911, (1913). Artist: Herbert Ponting
Captain L. E. G. Oates by the Stable Door, 30 August 1911, (1913). Lawrence Titus Oates (1880-1912) suffering from gangrene and frostbite, walked from his tent into a blizzard

Illustration of female manual worker standing behind tipper truck holding spade

The sledge party to White Island, February 1902: Shackleton and Wilson making camp
CH375987 The sledge party to White Island, February 1902: Shackleton and Wilson making camp, 1902 (w/c on paper) by Wilson

Bank Notes - Paper Money - French Alarmists - ah! poor John Bull
NCO191224 Bank Notes - Paper Money - French Alarmists - ah! poor John Bull! published by Hannah Humphrey in 1797 (hand-coloured etching) by Gillray

Porthcothan Bay Cornwall, 1950s Holiday Makers dig a trech in the sand to stop cars from being driven on to the beach. The trench was 150 yards long and 2 feet deep

Buckets and spades at the seaside
Two little girls on the beach at an unidentified British seaside resort, carrying their buckets and spades. Date: 1950s

PLAYING CARDS, c1750. Playing cards bearing the blazoning of the ensignes armorial of the kingdoms of Scotland, England, France, and Ireland. Engravings, 18th century

Children Play at Seaside
Rather than entrust their boat to the waves which might sweep it away, these children construct an inshore pool where it will be safe though its voyages will be short

Robin - close up on snow covered spade handle UK
MAB-1102 Robin - close up on snow covered spade handle UK Erithacus rubecula Mark Boulton Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in any way

Cheerful Land Girl
A cheerful Land Girl cycles to work with her spade over one shoulder

Five children building a snowman in a wood
Five Edwardian children building a snowman in a wood

Off to the Sea by Muriel Dawson -- a little child ready for the summer holidays. Date: 1940

Children Run on Sand
Two children and their dog scamper across the sand, carrying their spade and bucket. Date: 1913

Miner working at the coalface, South Wales
A miner, stripped to the waist, working at the coalface in a mine in South Wales

Medieval Workers 15C
Labourers & Artificers

Children on Beach 1 of 4
Four children on the beach, wanting to make friends but feeling a bit shy

Christmas card in the shape of a boy in a sailor suit with bucket and spade. Date: circa 1890s

Coal Works. A view near Neath in Glamorganshire, South Wales, 1798 (hand coloured aquatint on paper)
7485352 Coal Works. A view near Neath in Glamorganshire, South Wales, 1798 (hand coloured aquatint on paper) by Hassell, John (1767-1825); 22x33 cm; Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, Telford

Wooden butter spade
3732637 Wooden butter spade; (add.info.: Engraving depicting wooden butter spade. Dated 19th Century.); Universal History Archive/UIG.

WW1: The soldier king (illustration)
8684959 WW1: The soldier king (illustration) by Job, pseudonym for Onfray de Breville, Jacques (1858-1931); (add.info.: Events of the war 1914-1918 illustration Job The soldier king Facts of war)

Preparing a charcoal pit on a Wealden farm, Sussex (b/w photo)
8676031 Preparing a charcoal pit on a Wealden farm, Sussex (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Preparing a charcoal pit on a Wealden farm, Sussex)

Roadworks in Paris at night (colour litho)
8673206 Roadworks in Paris at night (colour litho) by Jeanniot, Pierre Georges (1848-1934); Private Collection; (add.info.: Roadworks in Paris at night)

Shaving, Shepherd, Shipwreck, Shoeblack, Shovel, Shrew-mouse, Shutter, Shuttle, Sickle, Sideboard, Sidewalk
8650077 Shaving, Shepherd, Shipwreck, Shoeblack, Shovel, Shrew-mouse, Shutter, Shuttle, Sickle, Sideboard, Sidewalk, Signal (engraving) by German School

An engraving depicting a wooden butter spade, 19th century
5311374 An engraving depicting a wooden butter spade, 19th century; (add.info.: Date: 1855); Universal History Archive/UIG.

British gentlemen on the Grand Tour opening an ancient classical tomb and pilfering vases, urns, and other treasures
FLO4974651 British gentlemen on the Grand Tour opening an ancient classical tomb and pilfering vases, urns, and other treasures. As desrcibed by Sir William Hamilton

Alexei Nikolaevich son of Nicholas of Russia, 1910s (b/w photo)
5669290 Alexei Nikolaevich son of Nicholas of Russia, 1910s (b/w photo); Universal History Archive/UIG.

Wooden butter spade
3732518 Wooden butter spade; (add.info.: Engraving depicting wooden butter spade. Dated 19th Century.); Universal History Archive/UIG.

Trades: Navvy (colour litho)
8641505 Trades: Navvy (colour litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Navvy. Illustration for one of a set of playing cards used in the game Jack of All Trades)

New Zealand, 1890s: Prospectors trying a Dish (b/w photo)
8662635 New Zealand, 1890s: Prospectors trying a Dish (b/w photo) by New Zealand Photographer, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Prospectors trying a Dish)

A lighted coal cellar, mid 1930s (b/w photo)
8634925 A lighted coal cellar, mid 1930s (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: A lighted coal cellar, mid 1930s)

Title page with vignette of Demeter goddess of agriculture with scythe amid statuary in a park
FLO4616286 Title page with vignette of Demeter goddess of agriculture with scythe amid statuary in a park. Engraving by Pillement finished by Nee after a painting by Percier

Flora, crowned with a garden of flowers, offering floral tributes to three figures - Botany (shown holding an alembic)
FLO4563185 Flora, crowned with a garden of flowers, offering floral tributes to three figures - Botany (shown holding an alembic)

Miner's Tools (engraving)
8637292 Miner's Tools (engraving) by American School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Miner's Tools)

First World War 1914-1918: Belgian King Albert I and his General Staff work on the trenches on the Yser River
XEE4170280 First World War 1914-1918: Belgian King Albert I and his General Staff work on the trenches on the Yser River, 1914 (print); Private Collection; (add.info.: First World War 1914-1918)

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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.