Angelo’s Infantry Sword Exercise; Established by the Prince Regent’s Command.

By Authority, W. Clowes, Oct. 1st., 1816

A highly attractive instructional single-sheet poster showing Henry Charles Angelo’s Infantry Sword Exercise. Along the top are a series of figures showing the "Preparatory Movements" or postures, above a large circular "target" with the directions of the seven cuts and guards together with the words of command for the Infantry Sword Exercise. The figures are by John Augustus Atkinson who was noted for his "spirited and lifelike" figure-drawing; Here he shows a range of contemporary infantry uniforms including the Rifle Brigade and a Highlander.

Framed in stained wooden frame with acid free paper and museum grade UltraVueUV99 glass(uv protection, non-reflective) by Clapham Picture Framers. Minor damage to the poster along some of the fold lines

The poster is dedicated “To Field Marshal His Royal Highness, The Duke of York. by Henry Angelo Junr

Angelo's Fencing Academy was established in 1759 by Domenico Angelo Malevolti Tremamondo r. Angelo, as he became known, set up a highly fashionable “école d'escrime” in Soho which enjoyed the patronage of the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Devonshire. Angelo's eldest son Henry, who had put the final polish on his fencing skills studying in Paris under Motet, became virtual head of his father's académie around 1785 and continued its reputation as “not only a school-of-arms, [but as] a school of deportment as well” [Aylward, The House of Angelo, p. 38.] In turn Henry's son, also named Henry, inherited the business when his father “retired from their active conduct of the school” in 1817. Henry Charles Angelo (Younger) had begun to teach the military even before taking over his father’s fencing school, and during the Napoleonic Wars. Around the year 1813, he began to teach the Royal Navy a form of cutlass exercise. These works were described as a combination of Scottish and Hungarian methods By 1815, and perhaps sooner, Henry Charles Angelo was teaching an infantry sword exercise to troops serving in France. Finally in 1817, his system was officially accepted as the new standard for the British army, and is the work you see in this document, and in 1833 he was appointed Superintendent of Sword Exercise in the Army.

This was the first ever officially adopted infantry sword exercise for the regular British army. It was re-printed and updated a number of times, and served as the standard and official manual of infantry sword exercise until nearly the end of the 19th century, when a new form of sword and swordsmanship was introduced