A word for the ladies...

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • paranday
    Speed Bag Guru
    • Sep 2009
    • 2515

    A word for the ladies...

    From Werner's Magazine, September, 1901:
    Attached Files
  • Mrs Mitts
    Speed Bag Guru
    • Feb 2010
    • 285

    #2
    Fantastic find paranday! The more you look into it, the more fascinating the history becomes. Shall print this out for future reference!!!!

    Was this golden era of 'bag punching' an American thing only?

    Comment

    • Dutchman
      Speed Bag Historian
      • Jun 2006
      • 1903

      #3
      From what that has been gathered it appears so. By the late 1930's the attitude towards women being involved with "physical culture" as it was referred to took a nose dive. It wasn't "lady like", and certain groups applied a lot of pressure to make sure that such activities were removed from the schools ( young women were taught to box in many district curriculums prior to this).
      Last edited by Dutchman; 07-19-2010, 05:58 PM.

      Comment

      • paranday
        Speed Bag Guru
        • Sep 2009
        • 2515

        #4
        Originally posted by Mrs Mitts View Post
        Was this golden era of 'bag punching' an American thing only?
        Not sure of the extent of bagging elsewhere, but there is evidence that "ball punching" was going on in England, Australia and France at the same time as in the USA. I would suspect elsewhere as well, worldwide.

        From Australia, below is a Harris, Scharfe & Co. Ltd. catalogue page of "punching balls" ca. 1913. The maker of their bags was Spalding, of London.

        Also from Australia was inventor Thomas W. Sherrin of Collingwood, Victoria, the patent holder of "...the celebrated punching ball used by all athletes..." The Cyclopedia of Victoria from 1904 goes on, "This invention is such a valuable one that it is now being copied by other manufacturers throughout the world." Wish I could find that patent and see what type of punching ball it is. Here's a page with more on Mr. Sherrin, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherrin

        Boxer Bob Fitzsimmons, from Helston, Cornwall, wrote a book ca. 1901 on physical fitness. That's him posing with a bag in the images posted earlier today.

        Also from your part of the world, Chamber's Journal of 1896 gives an account of a steeple-jack that "...still jumps into cold water every morning of the year, and spends 20 minutes with the clubs and the punching ball...". Sounds bagified to me.

        Then there is this text from 1907 written by a woman onboard a trans-oceanic cable laying ship in Southeast Asia:

        "As for amusements, these were not lacking, what with reading, writing, bag-punching...". From A Woman's Journey Through the Philippines by Florence Kimball Russel.

        I found a book ca. 1930 in French titled Punching Ball at a boxing website there. And so on.

        Whatever you call it - speed ball, speed bag, punching ball, striking bag - our friend the bag seems to have exploded onto the scene in the late 1800s, and was used by both genders the way god intended. What Dutchman mentions about the bag being taken away from woman makes my blood boil. Never again!
        Attached Files

        Comment

        • crapshoot
          Senior Member
          • Apr 2010
          • 135

          #5
          According to the "Second Supplement to the Victoria Government Gazette" (June 19, 1893) p.2793 (p.5 in the scan) Sherrin paid for his second patent term (#7751). It doesn't specify for what, but the number may help.

          Interestingly enough, on p.2790 (p.2 of the scan) there is a provisional patent granted in May to a Herbert Martin (#10514) for "improvements in punching balls for athletic exercises".

          I hope it's a start. I'll have to look at it again later.

          Here is a pic of the Sherrin ball
          Last edited by crapshoot; 07-19-2010, 08:37 PM.

          Comment

          • paranday
            Speed Bag Guru
            • Sep 2009
            • 2515

            #6
            Great finds! Hope a copy of the Sherrin patent can be obtained and posted.

            Comment

            • paranday
              Speed Bag Guru
              • Sep 2009
              • 2515

              #7
              From Germany, ca. 1928, is an image of a woman in her bathroom hitting a double-end bag:



              From the book Auferstehung der Dame (Resurrection of The Lady) by Paula von Reznicek. Paula recommended punching the ball "...as part of any lady’s morning toilette."

              Comment

              • Mrs Mitts
                Speed Bag Guru
                • Feb 2010
                • 285

                #8
                Yes but she should've got dressed properly first!!

                Comment

                • crapshoot
                  Senior Member
                  • Apr 2010
                  • 135

                  #9
                  It was probably before her morning ablutions. What size bathroom would you need to do that?

                  Originally posted by Mrs Mitts View Post
                  Yes but she should've got dressed properly first!!
                  Do you hear that SBSH?

                  Comment

                  Speedbagforum.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
                  Working...