Vintage photos from Appleby Horse Fair
This centuries-old gathering in the north of England is an important event in the Gypsy and Traveller calendar – a place where family and friendships are cemented, and horse deals brokered. NatGeo was there in 1972.
A Gypsy family sit beneath bowtop wagons and cook using a traditional swing skillet, Appleby Fair, 1972.
Gypsy men sit outside a drinking establishment and play cards, Appleby, 1972.
Children push a milk urn (and other children) in a miniature pram, Appleby Fair, 1972.
A trader counts gold sovereigns used for horse trading, Appleby, 1972. An old Gypsy saying reads: “Gypsy gold does not chink and glitter, it gleams in the sun and neighs in the dark”.
A young Gypsy boy smiles for the camera, Appleby, 1972.
A child sips from a china cup inside a family caravan, Appleby Fair, 1972.
A man rides a Gypsy Vanner horse down a street in Appleby during the 1972 horse fair.
The interior of a caravan shows domestic life for a travelling family at Appleby Fair, 1972.
Men barter for horses, slapping hands to signify a bid, Appleby, 1972.
A sign warns against encampment on a field it states has been sprayed with a poisonous substance; Appleby, 1972.
Painted bowtop wagons, of Gypsy caravans, evolved from ground tents that were later raised onto wheels. They became traditional conveyances and homes, and many still use them to travel to Appleby to this day.
An elderly Gypsy woman peers through the ornately etched window of her motor home.
