The Royal Smithfield Club

Date: 1775-1860Extent: 72 objects
Painting of an ox in the Royal Smithfield Club collection
The Ox Prince by G. Bailey. MERL 64/38

The Royal Smithfield Club was instituted as the Smithfield Cattle & Sheep Society in 1798 and founded as the Smithfield Club in 1802. Granted Royal Status in 1960, its Patron is Her Majesty The Queen. The Club aims to promote best practice in the production of quality livestock for the British meat industry through running prime stock shows, carcass competitions and technical demonstrations at key events in the UK.

The collection consists of paintings and prints of farm livestock produced from 1775 to about 1860. These include animals which had won prizes at the Smithfield Shows of 1834 and 1851. The Club presented the collection to The MERL in the 1960s.

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  • The objects are catalogued on the online database. Search using the phrase ‘Royal Smithfield’

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