Story: Picnics and barbecues

Picnic tug-of-war, 1896 (1st of 4)

Picnic tug-of-war, 1896

Participants in the ladies-versus-gentlemen tug-of-war at a Scandinavian picnic in 1896 pose for the camera. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, community picnics were special occasions that people dressed up for. The organisation of games reflected the social ordering of the time. There were competitions between groups such as men and women, bachelors and 'Benedicts' (married men), masters and journeymen, and between members of different friendly societies.

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Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: 1/2-052219-F

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Peter Clayworth, 'Picnics and barbecues - Family and community picnics, 1800s to 1920s', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/39287/picnic-tug-of-war-1896 (accessed 30 March 2024)

Story by Peter Clayworth, published 5 Sep 2013