Shirtless man standing in boxing pose at center of image in a fenced in area facing to left in image.
This vertical portrait portrays the accomplished young boxer, Nat Langham, in an outdoor ring. As a middle weight bare-knuckle fighter he won some fortune, and gained most of his fame after the defeat of the legendary fighter Thomas Sayers. This victory allowed Langham to retire. Boxing in the first half of the 19th century was one of the few pastimes recognized as a professional sport. The first boxing match took place in 1816. The most popular fights were those between champion fighters. Currier & Ives produced approximately fifteen different boxing prints. Often the fighter’s physical measurements and statistics would also be printed below the image.
