Thormanby – Boxers and Their Battles. Anecdotal Sketches and Personal Recollections of Famous Pugilists

Description

Thormanby ‘Boxers and Their Battles. Anecdotal Sketches and Personal Recollections of Famous Pugilists’ Rare 1900 1st edition. R.A. Everett & Co., London. 340-pages. Has all its plates. Front hinge is loosening but intact and good condition overall. Very clean internally. In better condition that I typically find this title. Contents: Introduction, Jem Belcher, Tom Cribb and Molineaux, Tom Spring and Jack Langan, Alex Reid and Bishop Sharpe, Jem Ward, Owen Swift, Jem Burn, Bendigo and Ben Caunt, Hammer Lane and Yankee Sullivan, Nat Langham, Johnny Broome and Bungaree, Tom Sayers and The Tipton Slasher.

Boxers and Their Battles: Anecdotal Sketches and Personal Recollections of Famous Pugilists is a highly sought-after 1900 boxing history book written by “Thormanby” (the pseudonym of the English author and journalist W. Willmot Dixon).

Physical & Bibliographic Description:
• Publisher: R.A. Everett & Co., London (1900 First Edition).
• Length: 340 pages of main text, usually supplemented by approximately 12-pages of publisher advertisements at the back.
• Illustrations: Features eight distinct photographic plates/portraits depicting legendary bare-knuckle and early prize-ring boxers from the Victorian era. Subjects include icons like Tom Sayers, Tom Cribb, Jem Belcher, and Bendigo.
• Binding & Cover Art: Bound in original pictorial cloth boards (most commonly green or deep red). The front cover and spine feature striking, detailed illustrations depicting a classic bare-knuckle boxing contest—specifically modeled after the famous 1860 Heenan-Sayers championship bout. The title lettering is typically stamped in white and black.
• Interior: Printed on paper common to the late Victorian era, meaning the leaves in existing copies are often naturally toned, browned, or slightly brittle around the edges.