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1 of 10Liutov, a photo postcard; his sash declares him to be the champion of RussiaRykoff Collection -
2 of 10Raoul Le Boucher, a photo postcard, FrenchRykoff Collection -
3 of 10Unknown Woman, a photo postcard; the sport included a few female starsRykoff Collection -
4 of 10Risbacher, a photo postcard; The caption, written in Russian, describes him as the champion of ViennaRykoff Collection -
5 of 10Pierri Le Grec, lithograph. Published in FranceRykoff Collection -
6 of 10"Prise de Lutte", a photo postcard The phrase translates as "wrestling hold"Rykoff Collection -
7 of 10Bogatyrev, a photo postcard, RussianRykoff Collection -
8 of 10George Hackenschmidt, a mass-produced photo card; Though he was one of the most talented of the turn-of-the-century champions, Hackenschmidt suffered in popularity because he was a poor showman.Rykoff Collection -
9 of 10Vakhdurov, Russian, a photo postcard; His sash declares him to be a champion somewhere, but the place name is illegible.Rykoff Collection -
10 of 10Arvid Anderson, a photo postcard, SwedenRykoff Collection
In the years leading up to World War I, wrestling enjoyed a golden age in Europe and America, as the grapplers and men of strength who toured in the traveling road shows and carnivals of the 19th century became huge stars of the ring. Like today’s WWE and its imitators, the rules of the bouts were fluid—drama and performance were valued just as much as winning and losing. Promoted by top impresarios, complete with a narrative of colorful villains and likable heroes, the wrestlers’ matches were held in the largest venues of the day, and the top stars gained huge followings. These cards, collected over fifteen years from flea markets in Europe and the U.S., were sold as souvenirs to the fans who lined up to buy tickets to the event.
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