Curator: Shannon Parker
The sound of a curling stone moving over ice has led to the game’s nickname, the “Roarin’ Game”. While the exact origins of curling are debated, the first recognized clubs were formed in Scotland and there is evidence of its existence in the early 16th century. The game was exported wherever Scottish immigrants settled and the climate allowed.
The formal “Rules of Curling” were adopted by the Grand Caledonian Curling Club in Edinburgh in 1838 and became the sport’s governing body. Queen Victoria, following a demonstration of curling on the ballroom floor of Scone Palace near Perth by the Earl of Mansfield, was so fascinated by the game that in 1843 she gave permission for the Club’s name to be changed to the Royal Caledonian Curling Club.
Ballrooms were not a typical curling venue. The game was usually played outdoors on frozen lakes and ponds. It has since moved indoors where the ice conditions can be carefully controlled. In celebration of the 2015 World Men’s Curling Championships, here you will find images of 19th century curling events that show the early interest and enthusiasm for the game, in Halifax and beyond.
