Taylor, Ron, c1919 - 2004
Dates
- Existence: c1919 - 2004
Biography
Ron Taylor was a fairground showman, who owned a boxing booth.
Ron came from a long line of boxing booth presenters in the British fairground. His great grandfather was a mountain fighter, who fought illegal bare Knuckle fights in the middle of the 19th century. After the introduction of the Marquis of Queensberry rules in 1867, the sport gradually changed and eventually ended the days of bareknuckle pugilism. This had a knock on effect on the fairground shows and led his great grandfather to purchase a travelling show. This was the first boxing show the Taylor family owned, in it Ron’s great grandfather and his boxers challenged anyone out of the crowd to fight and charged the public to watch.
Before WWI Ron’s grandmother used to box in the family show.
Ron continued the family tradition travelling the Ron taylor boxing booth around the British fairs until the late 1980s.
Found in 3 Collections and/or Records:
Monographs and Articles, 1965 - 1997
Articles and monographs on fairgrounds, boxing booths and education.
Noble to the End Article, Published 5 June 1977
An article by Iain Murray on Ron Taylor, one of the last fairground boxing booth impresarios in Britain. Published in The Observer magazine, London pages 23-26. Contains illustrations.
Ron Kinder Collection
Slides and photographs of Ron's travels to various preservation events and a few pictures from local Derbyshire fairs, articles, correspondence and Nottingham and Hull fair plans.
Additional filters:
- Type
- Archival Object 2
- Collection 1
- Subject
- Amusement rides 2
- Business 1
- Fairground art 2
- Motion pictures 1
- Transport 1