Snapshots of the Past

[Two men in wrestling poses in studio: back heel] – Historic Reproduction

[Two men in wrestling poses in studio: back heel], c1889. — historic photograph
[Two men in wrestling poses in studio: back heel], c1889.. Historic photograph from the Historic Print Archive collection.

(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)

Description

Step back in time with [Two men in wrestling poses in studio: back heel], a historic photograph rich in period detail. An authentic image from the Library of Congress, it carries the weight of the real historical record.

Framed, it is ready for the wall; unframed, it is ready for the frame you choose. Perfect for a home, office, library or classroom wall, and a gift with a story behind it. Free shipping in the lower 48 states. Snapshots of the Past has been bringing history to the wall since 2001, for tens of thousands of customers worldwide.

[Two men in wrestling poses in studio: back heel]

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Two men pose in a New York studio in the midst of a back heel, a throwing move in which one wrestler hooks the other's leg from behind and drives him to the floor. Studio sequences like this one, dated to about 1889, were a popular way to show audiences the holds of a sport that drew large crowds in the city during the 1880s. The stiff, carefully arranged bodies reflect the photographic conventions of the time, when long exposures demanded stillness and a pose had to read clearly on a small card. The image offers a useful record of how competitive wrestling was presented to the public in the late nineteenth century.

Created / publishedc1889.
Medium1 photographic print.
GenrePhotographic prints 1880-1890.
NotesCopyright by Anderson, N.Y.C.
SubjectsWrestling--New York (State)--New York--1880-1890. Wrestlers--1880-1890.
SourceLibrary of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Original scan961 × 1,536 px · prints to 3 × 5 in at 300 dpi
ReferenceAMZ-SOTP-HPA-161760

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