Latest Pickups

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by jefferyepayne

Picked this up at the Chantilly, VA show a few weeks ago. It's an advertising piece for Royal Tailors and features Frank Gotch who was the first American to be the professional wrestling champion of the world in 1908. This was back when pro wrestling was a legitimate sport and key matchups used to fill up baseball stadiums with fans.

jeff

Jeff, Frank Gotch was one of my google searches for a long time. I was trying to find more information about this guy (Ed Gaffney) who officiated at least one of his matches in Seattle, and who at one time was also a wrestler for the Seattle Athletic Club, where this photo was probably taken. My interest in Gaffney was purely because the photograph was taken by Curtis & Guptill, whose photographs and gravures I collect.

I also just picked up this 'Ringside' RPPC that shows Gotch.

Story on the Gotch/Roller Seattle fight that Gaffney officiated: Gotch put Roller in a 'bone-breaking hold...a perfectly fair hold, but it is devilish in its cruelty....those at the ringside could hear Ihe bones of the foot and ankle crush and snap. Eddie Gaffney, the referee on hands and knees near the wrestlers, could not stand it. "Let up a little, Gotch, you will break his leg." The champion eased the pressure, and with a tremendous kick with his free foot Roller got free, but he was beaten right there. That awful torture to which he was subjected took the sap out of him, and he jumped 'around the ring like a lame cock who had been gaffed'.