Edwards, Billy – ‘Art of Boxing And Science of Self-Defense Together With A Manual of Training. Illustrated from Instantaneous Photographs

Description

Edwards, Billy ”Art of Boxing And Science of Self-Defense Together With A Manual of Training. Illustrated from Instantaneous Photographs’ 1888 1st ed. 111 pages, plus another 14 pages of advertisements. New York: Excelsior Publishing House, 29 and 31 Beekman Street. Title on spine. Has a badly faded book stamp of a former owner reading “J.E. Rogers.Cigars, Tobacco, Newspapers: Periodicals and Stationery, Buffalo, N.Y.” on the inside of front cover and he’s handwritten “John E. Rogers, 25 Coe Place, Buffalo, N.Y. March 30,1893” on the frontispiece. The book is in good condition.

“In the late 1800s, John E. Rogers was a businessman located in Buffalo, New York who operated in the commercial liquor or saloon sector. Historical directories and pre-Prohibition merchant records show that he conducted business from 285 Washington Street in downtown Buffalo between the years 1879 and 1883.During this era, Buffalo was expanding rapidly as a major shipping, manufacturing, and trade hub along Lake Erie, giving rise to bustling commercial districts heavily populated by local merchants, wholesale dealers, and hospitality venues.”

The Art of Boxing and Manual of Training by William “Billy” Edwards is historically significant as one of the earliest comprehensive American manuals on the sport of boxing. Written by Edwards—the former Lightweight Champion of America and England—with the help of his long-time friend and former ring rival Arthur Chambers, the book sought to demystify boxing and present it as a legitimate sport and a medium for physical fitness for the general public.

Technical Instruction: The manual covers the fundamental mechanics of 19th-century pugilism. It catalogs explicit rules for footwork, striking techniques, infighting, and grappling/throwing techniques, which were common transition elements from the old London Prize Ring rules.

Visual Illustrations: The book famously includes 26 engraved illustrations/lithographs. To accurately convey the mechanics, Billy Edwards and Arthur Chambers physically posed for these images to demonstrate proper guards, blocks, and counters.

Holistic Fitness and Diet: True to its title as a “Manual of Training,” it goes beyond fighting mechanics to lay out strict recommendations for an athlete’s diet, nutrition, and everyday exercise routines.

The “American Fair-Play Rules”: Edwards included and advocated for a lesser-known set of regulations known as the American Fair-Play Rules. Because these detailed rules were published here, the book uniquely became a central piece of evidence in the landmark 1894/1895 Supreme Court case (Louisiana State vs. Olympic Club), where lawyers used the text to legally differentiate regulated boxing matches from illegal, brutal prizefights.

The book captures a pivotal moment in sports history when boxing was evolving from a banned, underground blood sport into a highly technical, mainstream athletic discipline.