Donovan, Mike – The Science of Boxing’ 1893. 78-pages & ‘Boxing and Self Defense Taught by the Marshall Stillman Principle TWO BOOKS BOUND TOGETHER IN ONE

Description

TWO BOOKS PURPOSELY PUBLISHED AND BOUND TOGETHER IN ONE TWO-RING BINDER FORMAT: Donovan, Mike ‘The Science of Boxing’ 1893. 78-pages & ‘Boxing and Self Defense Taught by the Marshall Stillman Principle’ 1919. 94-pages. These are bound together in a two-ring black cloth hardcover. A few pages are loose, but they are all there. Good condition overall. The only time I’ve ever come across these two books bound together in this manner. According to my on-line research:

“Yes, there is a clear historical record of this specific format. This combined edition was commercially produced and distributed as a single package between 1919 and 1922. (https://www.ebay.com/itm/144723126678) Antiquarian sports book specialists and collectors refer to this unique artifact as a dual-course home study kit. The Core Details, When It Occurred: Around 1919–1920, immediately following the publication of the Marshall Stillman Principle course. The Format: A heavy-duty, two-ring black cloth or faux-leather binder designed explicitly to hold the punched, loose-leaf text sheets of both manuals together. (https://www.ebay.com/itm/144723126678), Why Were They Bound Together? A Direct Teacher-Student Lineage “Marshall Stillman” was actually a pseudonym used by Alpheus Geer, a wealthy New York philanthropist and boxing enthusiast. Geer was a longtime student, close friend, and dedicated disciple of Prof. Mike Donovan at the New York Athletic Club. Donovan highly praised Geer’s simplified approach to teaching boxing and even posed for some of the instructional illustrations before his death in 1918. This creates a spectacular “time capsule” piece of sports history, combining a 19th-century master’s wisdom with a 20th-century mail-order fitness craze. In good condition, these complete combined binders typically command between $130 and $250 USD depending on structural wear to the binder rings and cloth. (NOTE: Handwritten on the inside of the front cover is: “Property of Albert Hoffman, Fremont, Illinois March 20th 1920.”