The Shikar Club...

[Scholar]

The Shikar Club, the one founded or co-founded by Frederick Courteney Selous, seems to be one of those extremely exclusive organizations which keep an extremely low (or in this case, non-existent) profile ... but if anyone here has any information about it ... (other than wiki) ... I'd be interested. I am currently working on a PPt / Photo-Essay / Documentary (possibly) ... about Selous (the man), and I don't want to leave anything out ...

Also ... I assume that The Shikar Club and The Shikar Safari Club International Foundation are two completely separate and distinct organizations with no relationship to one another ... (other than the words Shikar and Club). Is that correct? Does anyone know? ...

Thanks ...

 

[Scholar]

I never took a Rigby of any caliber to Africa ... (SIG-Sauer .300WM ... Winchester Model 70 .375 H&H ... Searcy Double in .470NE) ...

 

[wesheltonj]

The Shikar Club, the one founded or co-founded by Frederick Courteney Selous, seems to be one of those extremely exclusive organizations which keep an extremely low (or in this case, non-existent) profile ... but if anyone here has any information about it ... (other than wiki) ... I'd be interested. I am currently working on a PPt / Photo-Essay / Documentary (possibly) ... about Selous (the man), and I don't want to leave anything out ...

Also ... I assume that The Shikar Club and The Shikar Safari Club International Foundation are two completely separate and distinct organizations with no relationship to one another ... (other than the words Shikar and Club). Is that correct? Does anyone know? ...

Thanks ...

Not 100% sure of the answer, but fairly sure not the same. Shikar Safari Club International is hard to join. As I understand by invitation only, someone has to die for a space and you need a wallet much larger then mine.

 

[spike.t]

Went to a a shikar club black tie dinner once years ago in London...some interesting people there...not 100% sure but I think one of the criteria for membership was to had to have carried a rifle and hunted overseas...think it was africa and India...but yes from what I picked up it's very difficult to become a member and its I think a question of being asked..not something you apply to join but could be wrong...from memory Tony sanchez arimo was main guest speaker...but as I say was last century (sounds bit strange saying that ) ....in 1990s ....and copious amounts of vintage port were consumed at the end if the meal during speeches....quite a mix of people as I said from royalty to ex SAS ...one who didn't seem to appreciate a joke i made about him ,concerning what i had been told happened on a driven boar shoot ....my friend who took me to the dinner decided it was time to leave for our health......

 

[spike.t]

And @Scholar welcome aboard...where have you hunted in africa?....

 

[BRICKBURN]

Welcome to AH

 

[Philip Glass]

The Shikar Club, the one founded or co-founded by Frederick Courteney Selous, seems to be one of those extremely exclusive organizations which keep an extremely low (or in this case, non-existent) profile ... but if anyone here has any information about it ... (other than wiki) ... I'd be interested. I am currently working on a PPt / Photo-Essay / Documentary (possibly) ... about Selous (the man), and I don't want to leave anything out ...

Also ... I assume that The Shikar Club and The Shikar Safari Club International Foundation are two completely separate and distinct organizations with no relationship to one another ... (other than the words Shikar and Club). Is that correct? Does anyone know? ...

Thanks ...

I have a cousin who is involved in it. I don’t know much more than you do.
Philip

 

[spike.t]

As I said some interesting people go to the dinners

https://twitter.com/x/status/276638122459156480

 

[spike.t]

I have a cousin who is involved in it. I don’t know much more than you do.
Philip

Are you talking about the shikar safari club international phillip as its different to the shikar club in london

 

[Rimbaud]

A 1926 essay on the club was published in The NY Times. May discretion and privacy continue to reign.

 

[Rimbaud]

The Shikar Club, the one founded or co-founded by Frederick Courteney Selous, seems to be one of those extremely exclusive organizations which keep an extremely low (or in this case, non-existent) profile ... but if anyone here has any information about it ... (other than wiki) ... I'd be interested. I am currently working on a PPt / Photo-Essay / Documentary (possibly) ... about Selous (the man), and I don't want to leave anything out ...

Also ... I assume that The Shikar Club and The Shikar Safari Club International Foundation are two completely separate and distinct organizations with no relationship to one another ... (other than the words Shikar and Club). Is that correct? Does anyone know? ...

Thanks ...

I don't know where you are located, or even the bona fides of your work, but Selous' letters, at least a great many of them, are in a private library in Johannesburg on the estate of one of the old Rand lords. They have a small, but very in depth, museum of African history that is staffed with librarians and historians. You can see Selous' letters, and some of his drawings and water colors.

 

[Scholar]

Rimbaud wrote "A 1926 essay on the club was published in The NY Times. May discretion and privacy continue to reign."

Excellent reference & link ... Thanks ... I'll get back to you on your Selous' letters message ...

I was unable to use the quote function ... kept getting a message that the quote "was added to multi-quote' ... couldn't undo it ... (??) ...

 

[Nyati]

Welcome to AH !

 

[Scholar]

I don't know where you are located, or even the bona fides of your work, but Selous' letters, at least a great many of them, are in a private library in Johannesburg on the estate of one of the old Rand lords. They have a small, but very in depth, museum of African history that is staffed with librarians and historians. You can see Selous' letters, and some of his drawings and water colors.

I am in the USA.

Selous’ letters would certainly be of interest to me, and if you have any more info information about that I would certainly try to contact them. Thanks.

But in that regard, I am much more interested in finding out what happened to the bulk of Selous’ notes, journals, and sketches … of which there must be a plethora. I suspected they were in the possession of The British Museum of Natural History, and, in fact, asked them about it just recently. This was their (very helpful) response … (which I am still following up on) …

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Thank you for your email, which has been passed to Museum Archives.

We do not hold any of Selous’ diaries or notebooks in NHM Library and Archives, but the UK’s National Archives catalogue lists a number of collections relating to Selous at other institutions that might be of use to you. The majority of his papers and diaries appear to be held by the National Archives of Zimbabwe: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/c/F58547

We do however hold various documents in the museum archives either received by or relating to Selous or his collections. You can find a list of the records linked to his name in our archives catalogue here: https://www.nhm.ac.uk/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Persons&id=PX467.

The most relevant documents for you may be the correspondence with staff members at NHM and Tring Museum – these are generally the records with either a name or list of names in the title field. There is also historical documentation relating to the Selous specimens held by the zoology and entomology departments, and the Selous memorial in the Hintze Hall (https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/59994).

Please note that this may not be an exhaustive list, and you might find some other items by searching for ‘Selous’ or other related terms in the catalogue.

Library and archive staff are currently working remotely while our reading rooms remain closed. If you are interested in accessing any of these documents from the museum archives, please do check our website for updates on re-opening of the reading room and/or our digitization service and get back in touch as and when they become available again.

For information on the Selous specimens held at NHM, you will need to contact the relevant curators directly: https://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/departments-and-staff/life-sciences.html.

You can also find information on particular specimens by searching on the data portal: https://data.nhm.ac.uk/

Finally, you might also be interested in Selous’ own published works, which are available online on the Biodiversity Heritage Library, as well as a copy of the Dollman catalogue that you mention below: https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/search?searchTerm=frederick+courteney+selous&stype=F#/titles

Best wishes,

Ceri Humphries - Digital Special Collections Librarian - Natural History Museum

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[sierraone]

A very British answer. Good luck with your research. I spent a few days of my life researching Ancient Greek Alexander tetradrachm in the British Museum around 12 or so years ago. Truly enjoyed the time I spent there.

 

[Scholar]

A very British answer. Good luck with your research. I spent a few days of my life researching Ancient Greek Alexander tetradrachm in the British Museum around 12 or so years ago. Truly enjoyed the time I spent there.

I know what you mean. A few years ago I spent an afternoon examining the entire collection of books that TR brought with him to Africa in 1909. That kind of thing can be as much fun as it is informative. It'll certainly be one of the side-stories in my Selous piece ...

 

[Wheels]

A very British answer. Good luck with your research. I spent a few days of my life researching Ancient Greek Alexander tetradrachm in the British Museum around 12 or so years ago. Truly enjoyed the time I spent there.

Interesting. Do you have a collection?

 

[Wheels]

I know what you mean. A few years ago I spent an afternoon examining the entire collection of books that TR brought with him to Africa in 1909. That kind of thing can be as much fun as it is informative. It'll certainly be one of the side-stories in my Selous piece ...

When you go down that rabbit hole, you never know where the warren will take you.

 

[sierraone]

Interesting. Do you have a collection?

I worked as an international police contractor in Eastern Europe and the Middle East for the last 13 years of my working life. Archaeology and antiquities had always been a big interest/hobby of mine. As such I found myself living and working in the middle of the ancient world. So I took full advantage of it during those 13 years. Obtained a BA degree in maritime studies/archaeology, (all college studies prior to this were in criminal justice). Went on terrestrial and underwater investigations during my cto/vac time. And went to the major museums of the Greek and Roman world. This also took me to the English gun world during several trips I made to London. Back to your original question, I have two Alexander tetradrachms, hardly a collection. 18 months of those 13 years I was gone was in Kurdistan, conquered and ruled by Alexander until his death.

 

[Wheels]

I worked as an international police contractor in Eastern Europe and the Middle East for the last 13 years of my working life. Archaeology and antiquities had always been a big interest/hobby of mine. As such I found myself living and working in the middle of the ancient world. So I took full advantage of it during those 13 years. Obtained a BA degree in maritime studies/archaeology, (all college studies prior to this were in criminal justice). Went on terrestrial and underwater investigations during my cto/vac time. And went to the major museums of the Greek and Roman world. This also took me to the English gun world during several trips I made to London. Back to your original question, I have two Alexander tetradrachms, hardly a collection. 18 months of those 13 years I was gone was in Kurdistan, conquered and ruled by Alexander until his death.

As a student of history, I find what you did as really neat and interesting.

Everyone has a story filled with amazing experiences.