Catalogue for the auction of
Cricket, Football & Sporting Memorabilia

W.G. Grace. George Beldam, pioneer of action photography, the first action photographer of sport in Britain, specialising in cricket and golf. Very rare original sepia photograph of Grace playing an on-drive, being one of nine action photographs of William Gilbert Grace, Gloucestershire & England, taken between 1901 and 1904 taken by George Beldam, of which only two sets of original prints were contemporaneously produced. One set was for reproduction in the books ‘Great Batsman, Their Methods at a Glance’ and ‘Great Bowlers and Fielders, Their Methods at a Glance’ by Beldam and C.B. Fry 1905 & 1906. The other set was for the player concerned. This particular photograph was unpublished and was from Beldam’s own collection. Pencil annotation to verso in Beldam’s own hand ‘W.G. Grace On drive’. Very good condition.