Old Badge Hen & Holley Brothers – British Racing Pigeon Painting

Old Badge Hen & Holley Brothers British Racing Pigeons Folk Art Trophy Portrait
Attributed to J. Brown | Early 20th Century Oil with Historic Pedigree & Racing Inscriptions

Highlights
• Characterful British sporting folk art
• Racing-pigeon trophy and pedigree portrait
• Attributed to J. Brown
• Early 20th century, circa 1930
• Oil on board
• Original historic painted inscriptions
• Old Badge Hen breeding pedigree
• Whitley Bay 1909 victory
• Tynemouth, Perth and Banff racing references
• Banff-to-Trehafod long-distance inscription
• Period carved wooden frame
• Private London collection provenance
• Auction and exhibition history

Introduction
A highly distinctive British sporting portrait depicting two racing pigeons whose identities and achievements are preserved through extensive original hand-painted inscriptions.
Attributed to J. Brown, the work combines the decorative charm of British folk art with an unusually strong documentary quality.
The pigeons stand within an open landscape beneath a broad, pale blue sky. At left is a beautifully patterned chequered hen, while the larger blue-bar cock occupies a commanding elevated position to the right.
The inscriptions surrounding them preserve their pedigree and racing histories, making the work an especially engaging addition to a country-house, sporting or eclectic interior.

Catalogue Details
Artist: Attributed to J. Brown
School: British Naive / Folk Sporting School
Date: Early 20th century, circa 1930
Medium: Oil on board
Signature: Unsigned
Painting dimensions: approximately 44 × 41 cm / 17.3 × 16.1 inches
Framed dimensions: approximately 57 × 52 × 2.5 cm / 22.4 × 20.5 × 1 inch
Frame: Substantial carved period wooden frame
Old Badge Hen
The chequered pigeon is specifically named:
“OLD BADGE HEN”
Her painted record includes:
“DAM OF 1ST PERTH”
“CLUB & FED. GRAND DAM”
The wording celebrates Old Badge Hen as an important breeding or stock bird.
She appears to have been the mother of a pigeon achieving first from Perth at Club and Federation level and subsequently the grandmother of further successful racers.
Additional lettering appears to preserve results associated with Chester, Buxton and Craven Arms, most plausibly read as:
1st Chester
3rd Buxton
2nd Craven Arms
Part of the Chester lettering remains indistinct and the interpretation is therefore cautious.
The inscription effectively forms a painted pedigree documenting the sporting success of Old Badge Hen's descendants.
The Holley Brothers Cock
The larger blue-bar cock is accompanied by:
“MESSRS HOLLEY BRO. BUTE”
The meaning of “BUTE” remains unresolved.
A Bute Homing Pigeon Society is historically documented as having been instituted in 1895, demonstrating an organised pigeon-racing context for the name.
No independent evidence presently establishes, however, that the Holley Brothers themselves were members or residents of Bute.
For this reason the inscription is retained exactly as painted rather than expanded to “Holley Brothers of Bute”.
The cock's record includes:
“1ST WHITLEY BAY 09”
“1ST POOL”
“2ND TYNMTH”
“5TH PERTH”
The Whitley Bay inscription apparently records a victory in 1909, while “TYNMTH” represents Tynemouth.
A further notation beside Perth may contain “/10”, potentially indicating 1910.
A Telegraphic Racing Record
Among the most atmospheric inscriptions is:
“WIRED 6.45 DAY OF RACE”
This appears consistent with the historical use of telegraphy to communicate racing-pigeon information and may record an arrival or result transmitted at 6.45 on race day.
It provides a particularly evocative link to the sporting and communications culture of the period.
Banff to South Wales
Another extraordinary passage reads:
“… BIRD TO FLY BANFF TO TREHFOD”
“Trehfod” is very probably a variant rendering of Trehafod in the Rhondda Valley of South Wales.
If this interpretation is correct, the inscription commemorates a remarkable long-distance racing connection between Banff in northern Scotland and Trehafod in South Wales.
The ordinal preceding “BIRD TO FLY” is not sufficiently clear to establish whether the painting claims a first or second bird, so no definitive expansion has been imposed upon the historic lettering.
The surrounding inscription appears to resemble either “ALL STAGES TO BANFF” or “ALL STAGED TO BANFF”, potentially relating to progression through racing stages culminating in the Banff event.
The final record appears to include:
“1ST CLUB”
“1ST 5/- POOL”
The latter apparently represents a five-shilling pool victory.

Decorative & Historical Interest
The combination of decorative presentation and unusually detailed sporting history gives this painting a character rarely encountered in conventional bird portraiture.
It is simultaneously an attractive piece of British folk art, a racing trophy and a permanent painted pedigree.

The Artist
The work is attributed to J. Brown based upon stylistic and comparative assessment.
Paintings associated with Brown combine individually observed pigeons with simplified landscapes and extensive sporting inscriptions.
As this example is unsigned, the attribution is deliberately conservative.
Dating
Although the cock's racing record includes 1909, and potentially 1910, these dates relate to sporting achievements rather than necessarily the execution of the painting.
The accumulated pedigree and racing information indicates that the work was probably created retrospectively.
It is catalogued as early 20th century, circa 1930.

Provenance
Private London-based pigeon fancier collection.
Curated Auctions, London, Luxury Interiors: Including Exceptional Silver & Works of Art, 6 December 2024, Lot 370.
Acquired by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD® in 2024.
Curated, researched and catalogued by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®.
Exhibition History
Privately loaned by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD® and exhibited at the Famous Lord Hill Museum, Shropshire.
Dimensions
Painting: approximately 44 × 41 cm / 17.3 × 16.1 inches.
Overall framed dimensions: approximately 57 × 52 × 2.5 cm / 22.4 × 20.5 × 1 inch.

Shipping
Worldwide shipping is available.
Owing to the substantial dimensions and weight of the framed portrait, it will be professionally packaged using appropriate protective materials and dispatched fully insured.
International buyers are welcome. Please contact us for a destination-specific delivery quotation or to discuss any particular shipping requirements.

Certificate of Sale & Dealer Attribution
The artwork will be supplied with a Certificate of Sale & Dealer Attribution issued by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®, recording the artwork’s catalogue details, attribution, provenance as stated, and details of the sale. This document accompanies the work as part of its ongoing ownership and provenance record.

Attribution and Research
The historical observations, provenance research, attribution analysis and contextual commentary presented within this catalogue entry represent the professional opinion of Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®. They are offered in good faith as informed scholarly assessments based upon the available evidence, comparative research, published reference material and our experience within the international fine art market.
These observations should be understood as professional opinions rather than definitive statements of fact or guarantees of authorship, attribution, date, origin, provenance or historical interpretation. As with all historic works of art, future documentary discoveries, technical examination, conservation analysis or advances in academic research may refine, expand or revise current interpretations.

Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®
Specialising in carefully curated British and European fine art, antiques and historic works of art.
Every artwork is professionally researched and catalogued using comparative scholarship, published reference material and more than two decades of experience within the international fine art market. We are committed to offering collectors works of artistic and historical merit accompanied by transparent provenance research, detailed catalogue descriptions and professional, client-focused service.
Additional photographs and further information are available upon request.
These three now preserve the core evidence from your eBay master—including the uncertain status of BUTE, probable 1909/1910 chronology, telegraphic wording and Banff–Trehafod inscription—without turning the uncertain readings into facts.

Condition report:

Condition Report
The painting is presented in good, honest condition consistent with its age and historic character.
There is age-related craquelure and surface variation, together with scattered marks and spotting. A visible vertical area of staining or discolouration is present towards the left side of the painted surface.
The substantial carved wooden frame displays age-related wear, scuffs, minor losses and evidence of historic repair and retouching.
Please examine the accompanying photographs carefully, as they form an important part of the condition report.