Advertisement showing the interior of the well-attended gymnasium, operated by James Roper on the 800 block of Market Street, in which several men exercise in front of a crowd of spectators. In the right, three men perform balance moves on a balance beam next to a wall adorned with a rack from which boxing gloves and squash rackets hang. Beside the beam, two men wearing boxing gloves converse near the pommel horse that two men utilize. In the front center and left of the room, two pairs of men, one pair wearing face guards, fence; two men pull weights attached to the ceiling; and another tests his strength on the parallel bars near men climbing poles. To the rear, other exercisers climb vertical and inclined ropes, hang and climb from exercise ladders, straddle and perform pull-ups on horizontal poles, and dangle upside down from a trapeze. Around the room, spectators including several men and a few women in winter clothing, stand and sit to watch the gym attendees. Roper established the gymnasium circa 1831 which relocated to the 800 block of Walnut Street circa 1833., Several of the figures annotated with a number that probably corresponds to an unlocated key., Philadelphia on Stone, POS 659, Wainwright retrospective conversion project, edited., Historical Society of Pennsylvania:, Lower left corner missing and repaired.
Creator
Clay, Edward Williams, 1799-1857, artist
Date
[ca. 1831]
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department *W320 [P.2181]
Advertisement containing vignettes showing male and female gym patrons participating in physical activities and the use of exercise equipment. Equipment includes parallel bars, pummel horse, pull-up bars, ropes, weights, and peg poles. Activities include shooting, fencing, boxing, gymnastics, and weightlifting. Exercise poles incorporated into the image as pictorial elements separating the vignettes. Also contains text advertising the hours of the establishment; the skills of its instructors; separate classes and drawing rooms for the different sexes; and the benefits of exercise for the "proper development of strength, health, mind and the cure of chronic affections" and the importance to ladies to produce "strength, health, beauty and grace.", Philadelphia on Stone, POS 567, See related tradecards for Hillebrand & Lewis, including one printed by Stein & Jones. [P.9349.147a and 8608.F.5b].
Date
[ca. 1863]
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department *BW - Advertisements - H [P.8729.16]
