Allanson-Winn, R.G. – Boxing

Description

Allanson-Winn, R.G. ‘Boxing’ 1899, 91-pages. Contents: Position, Straight Hitting, Guarding and Slipping, The Cross-Counter, Right Handed Boxers, Timing or Countering, Feinting, Infighting – The Contracted Arm – Uppercut & Cross-Buttock, A Rough and Tumble, Dangerous Hits, A Street Fight and La Savate, Bad Examples, Comparative Merit, Instruction, Training, Judging, Exercises. Illustrated. Good + condition.

The 1899 91-page hardcover edition of Boxing by R. G. Allanson-Winn is a late-Victorian printing of his classic instructional handbook, issued as part of “The All-England Series” by George Bell & Sons. While Allanson-Winn had published a much larger, expanded work for The Isthmian Library in 1897, this pocket-sized 91-page manual remained the definitive, affordable reference guide for students and athletic clubs at the turn of the century.

Publication Details:
• Title: Boxing (The All-England Series)
• Author: R. G. Allanson-Winn
• Publisher: George Bell & Sons, London (with New York distribution via The Macmillan Co.)
• Year: 1899
• Format: Small hardcover (12mo format, approx. 4.75″ x 6.75″)
• Page Count: 91 text pages (frequently bound with an additional 16 to 32 pages of publisher’s book catalogs at the back)

Content and Structure:
The 1899 edition retains the tight, highly practical instructional layout of the original 1889 text, preserving the Prefatory Note by legendary lightweight pugilist Bat Mullins. The 91 pages systematically break down early Marquess of Queensberry rules boxing:
• The Essentials: Stance, balance, weight distribution, and the science of the “straight left.”
• Defense & Counters: Detailed instructions on ducking, slipping, guarding, and the execution of the “cross-counter.”
• Advanced Mechanics: Timing, feinting, judge-of-distance training, and fighting in close quarters.
• Street Defense: Practical advice for dealing with a “rough” or managing real-world self-defense situations (including a brief analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of French Savate).
• Training Regimen: Late-1890s conditioning rules, diet recommendations, and competition scoring metrics.

Physical Characteristics & Collectability:
• Binding: Consistent with George Bell & Sons’ “All-England Series,” the book is bound in characteristic salmon-pink or pale olive-green cloth boards. The front cover features dark brown or black stamped lettering, often bordered by simple geometric line-art frame detailing.
• Advertisements: The interior pastedowns, free endpapers, and final unnumbered pages are dense with printed advertisements for contemporary sporting equipment, athletic wear, and other handbooks in the series (covering cricket, rowing, and football).
• Illustrations: The text features numerous black-and-white plates and line drawings demonstrating proper form, guards, and punch trajectories, making it highly scannable for the reader.
• Market Status: By 1899, boxing had achieved widespread mainstream acceptance. This edition is highly valued by antiquarian collectors as a snapshot of the sport at the absolute end of the Victorian era, representing the blueprint for 20th-century boxing technique.