Grunts and Grapples: Exploring the visual culture of British wrestling
Design historian and author Kerry Purcell has spent the past few years collecting posters, ephemera and photographs from the golden age of British wrestling. We talk to Purcell about the sport’s appeal and its place in UK visual culture
Kerry Purcell attended his first wrestling bout when he was around 10 years old. In 1979 or 1980, his Dad took him to the pier at Cleethorpes to watch Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks compete in the ring. Purcell wasn’t an avid fan of the sport but he often watched wrestling segments in ITV’s Saturday primetime show World of Sport and was intrigued by the idea of seeing TV wrestlers in the flesh. He went along and was amazed by the spectacle of the sport and the reaction from the audience.
Register to keep reading
We promise it takes less than 2 minutes!
Why register?
Let us get to know you better. Once registered, you can read a limited number of articles free, submit your work to us, and receive our daily newsletter if you choose to.
Password recovery
If your email address is registered we will send you an email to recover your password.
Having problems?
+44 (0)2072923703 or customerservices@creativereview.co.uk
Why do I need to register?
Every month, hundreds of thousands of people visit us here on our website. The more we know about our visitors, the better and more relevant content we can provide for them. And, yes, knowing our audience better helps us find commercial partners too. We just ask you to provide a few details about yourself and what you do. Don't worry, we won't share your information with anyone, unless you give us permission to do so. In return you can:
Submit your work
Send us your latest projects, which we will review and consider to be featured on our website or in the print magazine.
Receive our newsletter
Get the latest creative insight and inspiration delivered straight to your inbox, in a newsletter curated by the CR editorial team.
Subscribe for more from CR
Subscribe to Creative Review to access all our premium online content, the digital archive which includes over 400 issues of the magazine and much more.
