The Archives of Falconry

The Archives of Falconry The mission of The Archives of Falconry is to collect, preserve, and interpret global falconry history, art, literature, and material culture.

The Archives of Falconry is an independent non-profit whose mission is to collect, preserve, and interpret global falconry history, art, literature, and material culture. Since its inception, TAF has grown into a world-renowned repository of falconry material culture and historical records. The Archives collects and preserves falconry heritage and the legacy of notable falconers, including their c

orrespondence, memorabilia, art, crafts, and life stories. Moreover, The Archives interprets significant events, advancements in falconry history, and explores falconer’s roles in the birth of raptor conservation. We are a destination for falconers, sportsmen and women, scholars, journalists, and other interested public - to visit, support, learn, and explore this 4500-year-old connection between humans and birds of prey. We are located next to The Peregrine Fund's World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise, Idaho

Serving with the U.S. Army in India from 1942 to 1944, Robert A. Widmeier had a rare opportunity to learn from and hunt ...
09/02/2026

Serving with the U.S. Army in India from 1942 to 1944, Robert A. Widmeier had a rare opportunity to learn from and hunt alongside local falconers. There as elsewhere, falconry knowledge in India was passed directly from experienced falconers to their students. Through his notes and artwork, Widmeier documented the birds, equipment, and traditions he encountered, creating a unique, contemporaneous record of Indian falconry as he experienced it in the early 1940s.

Learn more in the Archives’ virtual exhibit, “Widmeier in India”:
https://falconry.org/virtual_exhibits/widmeier/

Sally Hamilton Stabler was an active part of American falconry during the 1930s, sharing an involvement with raptors and...
08/31/2026

Sally Hamilton Stabler was an active part of American falconry during the 1930s, sharing an involvement with raptors and falconry with her husband, renowned falconer and parasitologist Dr. Robert M. (“Doc”) Stabler.

Sally also had a scientific background of her own, studying bacteriology at Johns Hopkins and publishing research in the American Journal of Hygiene in 1931. She and Robert were part of the early falconry community in southeastern Pennsylvania, alongside familiar names including Dan Mannix and Jim Rice.

Pictured here is Sally with Mirza, the Stablers’ peregrine falcon, in the summer of 1938.

As we conclude our look at Kutepov’s four-volume history of Russian royal and imperial hunting, one particularly interes...
08/28/2026

As we conclude our look at Kutepov’s four-volume history of Russian royal and imperial hunting, one particularly interesting detail is the time at which the series was completed.

The final volume was published in 1911. Just a few years later, the Russian Revolution brought an end to the imperial court and many of the royal hunting traditions the books recorded.

The timing of the series makes it especially significant today. It remains an extensive record of Russia’s royal hunting traditions, including falconry, documenting them just before they disappeared.

Image: Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich rides across the Red Square, from Volume II.

As we continue exploring Kutepov’s four-volume history of Russian royal and imperial hunting, it’s time to take a closer...
08/26/2026

As we continue exploring Kutepov’s four-volume history of Russian royal and imperial hunting, it’s time to take a closer look at the artwork.

The artistic design of the series was mainly in the hands of renowned artist Nikolai Samokish, with contributions from some of Russia’s leading painters and draftsmen, including Ilya Repin, Viktor Vasnetsov, Vasily Surikov, Alexandre Benois, and others.

Across the four volumes are hundreds of hand-drawn drop caps, headpieces, ornate titles, and borders, along with illustrations that accompany centuries of Russian royal and imperial hunting.

Today, the series stands as an extraordinary example of Russian book art from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

08/24/2026

Published between 1896 and 1911, Nikolai Kutepov’s four-volume history of Russian royal and imperial hunting covers nearly 900 years of royal hunting, from the Grand Princes to the Romanov emperors.

Begun at the direction of Tsar Alexander III, the series documents the important role of royal hunting, including falconry, in Russian court life. Today, complete sets are exceptionally rare, and The Archives of Falconry is proud to preserve all four volumes in its collection.

These volumes came to us through our acquisition of the Bibliotheca Falconaria (the Karl-Heinz Gersmann Library). Gersmann is an established scholar on this and other significant falconry works. His essay, “Three Monumental 19th-Century Books on Falconry and Its History – The Last of Their Kind,” explores the larger political and historical contexts in which Kutepov’s masterwork was commissioned and created. Read the essay here:
https://files.constantcontact.com/78e0a22f901/9b0978d3-06f5-4aa3-8f1f-a8682017dfe8.pdf

In the coming posts, we’ll take a closer look at what makes this series one of the most significant resources in our library.

Just getting started in falconry? The Archives of Falconry’s Fledgling Member program, offered in partnership with the N...
08/21/2026

Just getting started in falconry?

The Archives of Falconry’s Fledgling Member program, offered in partnership with the North American Falconers Association, is designed specifically for apprentice falconers who are also NAFA members. In addition to discounts on TAF membership and events, Fledgling Members receive a “mystery box” of non-accessioned duplicate books and other falconry related objects not part of The Archive's Collection.

Whether you’re preparing for the season ahead or building your falconry library, the Fledgling Member program is a great way to connect with the history of the sport while starting your own journey in falconry.

Learn more:
https://falconry.org/donate_support/membership/

Horses, dogs, and falcons have long been companions in the sporting world. As the traditional saying goes, “First the ha...
08/19/2026

Horses, dogs, and falcons have long been companions in the sporting world. As the traditional saying goes, “First the hawk, then the horse, then the hound; then, and only then, the lowly falconer.”

This 1881 engraving, titled Favorites, brings them together in a single scene. It was a popular print of Sir Edwin Landseer’s celebrated 1835 original portrait in oil. Specifically, the scene depicts the prized animals of Prince George of Cambridge gathered in a stable courtyard. A white Arabian stallion, "Selim", stands in profile alongside a large, bicolored Newfoundland dog "Nelson". His head sits beneath the horse's arched neck, gaze tilted slightly up toward its muzzle, with alert eyes — his important job is holding both the horse's reins and the Prince's riding crop in his mouth.

In the foreground, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel "Flora" rests on a stone step, while three hooded falcons are perched on a carpet draped over a stone parapet. The scene implies a short break from a day afield. (While the Cavalier King Charles is not considered a contemporary bird hunting breed, in the early to mid 19th century they were apparently a well regarded bird dog.)

Take a closer look through the collection record:
https://falconry.catalogaccess.com/objects/281

Honoring falconers whose lives and legacies are memorialized at The Archives of Falconry's Wall of Remembrance.Richard “...
08/17/2026

Honoring falconers whose lives and legacies are memorialized at The Archives of Falconry's Wall of Remembrance.

Richard “Rick” Jay Guritzky (1954–2025)
Rick Guritzky's passion for the sport began in California and continued for more than five decades.

Rick was an accomplished game hawker who flew a variety of raptors throughout his life, including red-tailed hawks, Cooper’s hawks, prairie falcons, goshawks, and peregrine falcons. He spent decades learning through experience and was always willing to share what he knew with others. Many falconers benefited from his advice, stories, and the knowledge he gained over a lifetime in the field.

Those closest to Rick remember his humor, strong opinions, love of the outdoors, and the friendships he built through falconry.

Read more about Rick and many other fondly-remembered falconers in our online Book of Remembrance, and learn more about how to induct falconers to the Wall of Remembrance here:
https://falconry.org/visit/wall_of_remembrance/

On this day 110 years ago, twin brothers John and Frank Craighead were born.From their early interest in falconry to the...
08/14/2026

On this day 110 years ago, twin brothers John and Frank Craighead were born.

From their early interest in falconry to their pioneering work in wildlife conservation, the Craigheads made lasting contributions to our understanding of birds of prey. Through their books, articles, and decades of field research, they inspired generations of new falconers and left a legacy that continues to educate falconers, biologists, and conservationists today.

Photo from Hawks in the Hand: Adventures in Photography and Falconry.

TAF's August newsletter drops this Friday. In this issue: Big news about the 2027 Spring Rendezvous; Archives staff in t...
08/13/2026

TAF's August newsletter drops this Friday. In this issue: Big news about the 2027 Spring Rendezvous; Archives staff in the Big Easy; a TAF film on the red carpet; and more!

Sign up for free here:
https://falconry.org/signup/

Address

5668 W Flying Hawk Lane
Boise, ID
83709

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