The Boxing Kangaroo. Poster.
Plymouth, England: Litho. Creber Plymouth, ca. 1910. Bold and highly colorful large chromolithographic poster of an enduring Australian icon: a human boxer in a match with a kangaroo. One large image of the two pugilists in yellow boxing gloves, squaring off against each other, with two vignettes at the upper left. The farthest vignette showing the kangaroo delivering a devastating kick to the boxer, the second vignette with the boxer knocked down, his arm raised to ward off another kick. With "Time!" printed in black between the 2 opponents, and the logo of the lithographer in a black oval at the lower left. "Registered 1040" below the image.
The record of fighting kangaroos goes back at least as far as 1891. In a 24 December 1891 Sydney newspaper article, there is a record of an Olivia Sabina Mayne suing to recoup the money owed her for the hiring of a fighting kangaroo named "Jack" (Sydney Evening News, 24 December 1891, p3). Outback traveling shows featuring kangaroos fighting against men were popular in the 1890s and German and British silent films of 1895 and 1896 featured the kangaroo and human opponents. American animated cartoons appeared somewhat later, including 'The Boxing Kangaroo' (1920), 'Mickey's Kangaroo' (1935) and Pop 'Im Pop! (1949). During the second world war the boxing kangaroo became a national symbol of the Royal Australian Air Force; fighting kangaroos were stenciled on the sides of Australian airplanes to differentiate them from the British.
Cream paper, light blue background with the text "The Boxing Kangaroo" printed in red with black border, slightly out of register. 19 1/2 x 30" Very good condition. Item #19989
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