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Description:
This is a very rare and historical etching of the boxer Edwin Baldwin. Baldwin is very fit and quite muscular! He is dressed in boxing garb from the period with a decorative orange, green and yellow cloth belt. Below Baldwin it reads – E. Baldwin known as White-headed Bob; born in 1800 at Ludlow in Shropshire - stands 5ft 1in weighs 13 stone. Pub April 1829 by S.W. Fores 41 Piccadilly. On the bottom left hand corner it is signed – Tom Jones fec - with a side ways J. I found the following information on “white-headed bob” - His name was Edwin Baldwin and he was a friend of the famous boxer Tom Spring (1795-1851). In some documentation on Spring I found that – Tom Spring seconded a native of Ludlow, Edwin Baldwin, known as 'White Headed Bob' at his fight with teenage Ned Neale at Virginia Water, Surrey on October 19th 1824. Disappointingly for the men from the Marshes, victory was not with them that day. I was also able to find a poem by Richard Harris Barham entitled Black Mousquetaire: A Legend of France which was written in 1830. In the poem Barham mentions a boxer called ‘White-Headed Bob.” An excerpt from that poem is as follows:
“Called 'White-headed Bob,'
Whom I once saw receive such a thump on the 'nob'
From a fist which might almost an elephant brain,
That I really believed, at the first, he was slain,
For he lay like a log on his back on the plain,
Till a gentleman present accustomed to train,
Drew out a small lancet, and open'd a vein
Just below his left eye, which relieving the pain,
He stood up like a trump, with an air of disdain,
While his 'backer' was fain -- For he could not refrain”.
Unfortunately the etching isn’t in the best condition – due to its age the paper is brown and the etching itself has two water marks along with a water drip that goes down the right side. There are also two water marks on the matt on the bottom right and left hand corners – which appears to have occurred from some carelessly cleaning the glass. With that said though the work is fabulous and again due to the age of this piece and it being on paper it has kept quite well preserved. It is housed in a simple wood frame which is how it should be for an etching of a boxer. The bottom molding of the frame has chipped away. There is a tear on the matt on the lower left hand side – which is very old and actually quite sturdy. Overall it measures 17 5/8” x 14 7/8” and the sight size is 12 ¾” x 15 5/8”. This is quite a collectible piece for the boxing connoisseur. I find it intriguing and historical! What a find…
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| Status: For Sale |
Reference#: an4175 |
| Condition:
good |
Year:
1829
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| Title:
Rare 1829 Boxer E. Baldwin Etching Framed |
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