Arthur Nager

Wrestling at Sunnyside Garden Arena

This series of photographs was taken at a wrestling match held on Saturday, November 27 at the  Sunnyside Garden Arena in 1971. It was the result of a trip inspired by my cousin Johnathan Panes,
who at age 12 loved wrestling and my interest documenting unusual people, places and events.

At age 71 I discovered the images while archiving black and white negatives that were produced when I was 21 and living at the time in Queens while working toward a graduate degree in photography.
The atmosphere was reminiscent of the gritty days of boxing and wrestling that conjured an earlier time period and the flash bulb images of Weegee, the famous Daily News photographers.

The photographs of the fans, waiting on line for tickets, reading the latest magazine or screaming in support or anger during the action capture the spirit of an earlier and in many ways more innocent time. The crowd reflects the diversity of the city, representing all ages, ethnicity and cultures - but united as a community in the shared appreciation for wrestling.

A community that accepted the notion of  Kayefabe - the portrayal of staged events as “real” and genuine - heightening the excitement, entertainment and emotional display generated by each match.

The passage of time is reflected through more than just changes in fashion. The faces are close up and portraits were possible with people showing less concern for motive and the invasion of privacy. The anticipation of the dramatic clash that loomed ahead between admired or despised larger than life gladiators in the ring created a shared atmosphere that transcended class and economic distinctions. There was always the hope that with cheers and support your hero would take down his opponent today and live to fight again on the next Saturday at Sunnyside Garden Arena.

Arthur Nager

Arthur Nager is an award winning photographer, photo educator and curator whose work is in the collection of numerous museums and educational institutions, including The George Eastman International Museum of Photography, NY, the South Street Seaport Museum, NYC, the Kennebunk Museum, ME and the Westport Art Collection, CT. 

He received an MFA degree in photography from Visual Studies Workshop in Rochester, NY in 1976 and began a teaching career that included positions at The Center of the Eye in Aspen, The Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Snowmass, CO, and the University of Bridgeport, CT, where he became an Associate Professor and Director of the Photography Department from 1973-1990.

His work has been exhibited in numerous gallery shows, including recent solo exhibitions – Central Park Photographs, Ilon Art Gallery and Times Square Photographs, Fahey/Bodell Gallery in NYC. His work has been included in group shows at the Slater Memorial Museum, Lake Placid Center for the Arts, Texas Tech University, The Carriage Barn Art Center, New Canaan, CT, Praxis Photo Gallery, MN, Black Box Gallery, OR, and the Photo Place Gallery, VT.

He was awarded a National Endowment for the Humanities Grant and served as a curator for numerous photography exhibits at educational institutions. Three books of his work have been published including Times Square Photographs, Central Park Photographs and Wrestling at Sunnyside Garden Arena.

Arthur Nager currently works as a photographer and graphic designer, in CT and NYC. His vintage and recent work can be seen at www.arthurnager.com and he can be contacted at the Contact page of this site.