Women's Pro and Amateur Wrestlers Photo Archive, 1940s-70s

Early Women in Sports

Photograph

[Women's Sports] Women’s wrestling photograph archive documenting amateur competitions, gymnasium training, and professional wrestling performers between the 1940s and the 1970s. The images record women participating in a sport historically dominated by men, illustrating the gradual emergence of female wrestling as both an amateur athletic activity and a professional entertainment circuit during the mid twentieth century.

Archive of ten photographs including nine black and white silver gelatin prints and one sepia toned image measuring approximately 3.5 x 4.5 inches to 8 x 10 inches. Several early photographs from the 1940s depict women grappling in an indoor ring during staged matches. Later images show girls wrestling during a gymnasium class setting while classmates watch from the sidelines. Three studio photographs from the 1970s portray professional wrestlers associated with promoter Mary Lillian Ellison, known professionally as The Fabulous Moolah.

Portraits include full length promotional photographs of Joyce Grable of Ozark Alabama, Lilly Thomas of Memphis Tennessee, and a headshot of Paulla Kaye of Oklahoma City Oklahoma. These performers were active on the professional wrestling circuit during a period when women’s wrestling was gaining visibility in regional promotions across the United States. Female wrestling remained controversial throughout much of the twentieth century, facing both cultural criticism and sensationalized marketing. Light wear consistent with age. Very good condition. A visual record of women participating in amateur and professional wrestling across several decades of American sports culture.

Item #20642

Price: $1,800.00