Vigo County Historical Society
Historical Treasure Article

March 28, 1993
By David M. Buchanan
Vigo County Historical Society

Photos show boxing at turn of century

Sports photographs, especially those from 80 to 90 years ago, are rare in the Vigo County Historical Society’s collection.

Recently, two people brought boxing photographs to the society’s Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley. Both sets of photographs date to the turn of this century. They also have connections to Vigo County sports history.

Hermina Henry brought in photographs of her father, Herman Kelm, who was a boxer much of his life. The earliest photograph shows a 16-year-old Kelm posed in a traditional boxing handshake with his boxing partner. The photograph is not a view of the beginning of a match but was posed in a studio.

Kelm was born in West Union, Ill., in the 1890s. He and his family moved to Terre Haute in 1909. It was about that time he started boxing. He continued to box until around 1917.

The other photographs came from Richard Donagen of Beloit, Wisc. He found the photographs in a local antique shop about 20 years ago. Unfortunately, none of the pictures have been identified. Through the photographers’ imprinted names and through other details in the pictures, many have been confirmed as local. They date to shortly after the turn of the century.

Some of the photographs are publicity shots of boxers. One depicts a black boxer. The photograph is marked “Bundy--Terre Haute.” William Bundy was a photographer with a studio on Wabash Avenue. The boxer is not identified.

Included with the photographs is a booklet about the sport of boxing. The original book probably contained about 100 pages but the covers and the first two pages are gone. The date of the book is unknown.

It probably was published in Chicago because it include scenes of the Club Arena Theatre. The marquee over the entrance and several of the fight posters refer to it as the Star Theatre. The arena itself was directly on the stage. Seats, probably the most expensive, also were on the stage. Other seating could be found in six boxes, a mezzanine and on the first floor.

The book gives a view of boxing at the time. The “New” Marquis of Queensbury rules for boxing are included. There originally were only 12 rules; the new rules totaled 26. They were drawn up by Sam Summerfield, Charles T. Essig, and Malach Hogan. Hogan was the official referee of the Fort Dearborn Athletic Club. The expanded rules covered things such as types of shoes, time-keeping, fouls, bandages, disqualifications, etc.

Various boxers are shown in the book, including a shot of Joe Gans. A forma studio photograph of Gans was included in the gift from Donagen. Included on each page are facts about the various matches conducted in 1899 and 1900. They tell who fought and where, who won, how they won, in what round, and who refereed.

Some of the boxers look to be teen-agers, most are no older than their early 30s. Gans is listed as having been born in Baltimore in 1875.

Essig wrote an article on the “Modern Mode of Conditioning Yourself.” He included everything from underwear--wool; meals--breakfast of oatmeal, broiled lamb chops, poached eggs, stale bread and tea; when to get up--7 a.m. and immediately take an alcohol bath. He noted, “It is not necessary to have a tub full but simply to apply with the hands. . .”

He also suggested those in training start with a brisk after-breakfast walk of six miles. He explained how to protect exposed skin from the weather, treat hand sprains, and what to do if one is tired but not sleepy.

Some of these photographs and other materials given to the society as part of the search for the new pictorial book on the history of Terre Haute are on display at the museum.

The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.


Return Home