Description:

The 1880's were an age of the professional "all around" athlete--an individual who competed at the highest level in a variety of disciplines, usually a combination of track and field, wrestling, boxing, and weightlifting. Unfortunately, the "all arounder" went out of style as athletics became increasingly specialized...But their manuals remain. Morris Bornstein's manual is one of the finest examples of these, written in 1880 near the height of "all around" athletics. Bornstein based his curriculum on the use of dumbbells, Indian clubs, and simple gymnastics, but he was nothing if not innovative--he even included chapters on archery and quoits!