John Claridge’s Boxers (Round Ten)
Contributing Photographer John Claridge and I were back at the first London Ex-Boxers Association gathering of the New Year to add to John’s mighty roster of heroic pugilists which now stands at well over one hundred portraits. We have encountered so many redoubtable characters and made so many new friends, and here you see the results of John’s most recent encounters with these dignified gentlemen of the boxing fraternity.
Paul Watford (First fight 1966 – Last Fight 1973)
Joe Somerville (111 fights between 1955 – 1969)
Harold Alderman MBE (LEBA Boxing Historian & Schoolboy Boxer)
Tom Ballinger (First fight 1952 – Last fight 1961)
Harry Scott (First fight 1960 – Last fight 1973)
Robbie Davis (First fight 1950 – Last fight 1961)
Alex Dunning (First fight 1953 – Last fight 1960, Royal Navy Champion 1956)
Reg Baker (First fight 1944 – Last fight 1945)
Photographs copyright © John Claridge
Take a look at
John Claridge’s Boxers (Round One)
John Claridge’s Boxers (Round Two)
John Claridge’s Boxers (Round Three)
John Claridge’s Boxers (Round Four)
John Claridge’s Boxers (Round Five)
John Claridge’s Boxers (Round Six)
John Claridge’s Boxers (Round Seven)
John Claridge’s Boxers (Round Eight)
John Claridge’s Boxers (Round Nine)
and these other pictures by John Claridge
Along the Thames with John Claridge
At the Salvation Army with John Claridge
A Few Diversions by John Claridge
Signs, Posters, Typography & Graphics
Views from a Dinghy by John Claridge
In Another World with John Claridge
A Few Pints with John Claridge
Some East End Portraits by John Claridge
Sunday Morning Stroll with John Claridge
Ah, another magnificent series! Faces traced by history’s lines.
JC..let it go for the full 15 (?).I for one will not tire!!!!
As always a brilliant set of images. G
It is wonderful to be treated to another set of these boxers.
There is such depth in these faces, and also a startling array of emotions captured in otherwise seemingly immobile faces: defiance in at least one pair of eyes, steely composure in another, and a profound and deep sense of peace in more than one pair.
Thanks, John.
Round after round of stunning images !
Thank you John .
Each portrait is telling me a story, a wonderful story. Poetry in photography. ♥
Another great set of characters,keep them coming John
Yet again, another exciting round. They say that the only part of the human body that does not age are the eyes. I think this is perfectly demonstrated in these photos, look at the twinkling light in these mens eyes. It would be wonderful to see an exhibition with John’s images along with portraits of these gentlemen taken in their fighting days. I bet the eyes have of these ex-boxers hasn’t changed a jot.
In the 2012 Olympics, we had a first female british medal in boxing for the UK. Is there any chance of National Lottery Funding to fund an exhibition? This is a sport which is renowned for making even the most unruly individual learn discipline, respect and honour. I think some of todays young people would benefit greatly from learning some of these lessons and why not promote this wonderful sport to a large audience with a great exhbition.
Thank you John, Spittalfields Life and all the guys from the EBA for sitting for these wonderful images.
Thanks again, John.
Good afternoon to you and Janet.
AT
2013. A New Year. Same old conflicts. Same old chaos creating weather. Reassuring, then, that JC’s lens is still on hand in London’s East End to bring us more of the same fascinating ex-pugilists’ expressive features!
And the roar of the crowd is a Niagara Falls of time recalled , etched in detail metaphysical on these heads that meet the challenge of the unblinking lens, that moves too fleet to tell when it has you by the shadow that reveals the gaze, diamond glint in living stone , just as unflinching as it was when they
faced up under the hard lights to get the sermon from the ref. 125th of a second that shows the echoing
years vibrations. The right stuff. Tempora mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis.