The Ardent Bowlers

1932

The Ardent Bowlers, 1932. Peggy Bacon (American, 1895–1987). Etching; platemark: 15 x 35.3 cm (5 7/8 x 13 7/8 in.); sheet: 25.5 x 45.3 cm (10 1/16 x 17 13/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland 1932.323 By the 1910s, there were hundreds of public bowling alleys in New York City, usually in the basements of saloons. In this image, Peggy Bacon focused on the mix of genders and imbibing of alcohol associated with the sport. The work features 17 of Bacon’s friends, all artists, partaking in their regular Wednesday night recreation. Reginald Marsh is shown at the far left, and Bacon included a self-portrait at the lower center (with her back to the viewer). Having studied under both George Bellows and John Sloan at the Art Students League, Bacon was one of a growing number of women who sought independence and professional success in America’s cities. In early 20th-century America, bowling was one of the few sporting pastimes in which both men and women could participate.