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The Great Fight

1824
Not on view
This column, decorated with a small woodcut, appeared in Pierce Egan's newspaper "Life in London. The text describes a boxing match between Tom Brown and Tom Shelton, in 1824 at Plumb Park, near Stoney Stratford, sixty miles from London. The image shows two pugilists stripped to the waist, accompanied by their seconds, with a bottleman and referee. The text notes that distance from London, and competing interest in another match, limited London spectators to about 50.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Great Fight
  • Engraver: William Chester Walker (British, active 1823–72)
  • Artist: After George Cruikshank (British, London 1792–1878 London)
  • Publisher: Pierce Egan (British, 1772–1849)
  • Subject: Tom Brown ("Big Brown" of Bridgnorth) (British, born 1793)
  • Subject: Tom Shelton (British, Wrotham, Kent 1787–1830 London)
  • Date: 1824
  • Medium: Woodcut and letter press
  • Dimensions: Sheet (Trimmed): 11 9/16 × 3 1/16 in. (29.3 × 7.8 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund and Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, by Exchange, 1970
  • Object Number: 1970.541.223(1)
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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