The Magnificently Mysterious Masked Mat Men
A Hooded History: Chapter One
#PWHS #Article #Magnificently #Mysterious #Masked #MatMen #MMMMM #AHoodedHistory
Recently there was an update to the website consisting of results researched by Phil Lions. With the genuinely brand new information he presented, I find myself with the urge to write this multiple part article. Most likely there will be even more of the story to tell about these wrestlers who concealed their faces. Whether it be in the coming months or even in the distant future, but with old newspapers becoming ever more available through the process of digitization, one can only be hopeful that there are many more articles out there awaiting our curious eyes to view them.
Phil's findings were about the "Masked Wrestler of Paris" who appeared in 1867. The famed veiled wrestler who was for the longest time believed by almost everybody to have been the first ever man to distort his face with fabric and thus obscure his identity. I actually forget when it was exactly, sometime over the last couple of years, our long term European researcher Ronald, discovered another. Another who came before.
The term legend is often used too frequently and even quite inaccurately at times in relation to it's traditional meaning. When it comes to the sensational Parisian though, to say he is legendary would not be a far cry from the truth. Anyway enough about him, as this is "A Hooded History" it only makes sense to start at the beginning and work chronologically forward. So, his, or should I say their story because we now know there were three all during the same period, shall have to wait until part two.
Unlike his Paris based counterparts, there is absolutely nothing to suggest who this first unknown competitor was. We do know when and where he took to the stage, we even know who his opponent was. Before we get to that I think this is the right place to give just a little background on Czech Republic (Czechia) wrestling. It is not a country that people will instantly associate with wrestling yet it saw many a wrestler pass through though, including our masked man.
When the Industrial Revolution hit Prague, the main city in Czechia found itself a very busy place going into the 19th century. There were coal mines, ironwork's as well as other forms of industry nearby which were integral to revolution taking place. The men working in those types of hard labor jobs would receive a decent wage, but work long hours and with not much transport about, the shows had to come as close to them as possible. Plus there could almost be guaranteed that at least handful of workers with a reputation of some kind, be it of strength, as a tough guy, or something else of that ilk. It would only take a bit of coercing to get one of them to make a challenge backed by money.
The first example we have of this is a man going by the name of "Hercules Carl Franke" back in 1819 who had a short stay in Prague. By the end of the 1830s the railway system of transport reached Czechia. Not as we know it, but horse drawn carriages on tracks. Prague was not the city where it was fist laid though, it actually started in Brno, from Vienna, Austria. With the way transport was evolving, becoming quicker, more efficient it opened the doors even more to traveling performers. The fact Brno was chosen to be the first city to have such a thing shows that it was considered an important part of the country. Somewhere worth going.
Jean Dupuis is the earliest man billed as a wrestler that there is record of appearing in both Prague and Brno. He did this during the 1830s. A Frenchman who traveled Europe as a strong man and wrestler, Dupuis was one of the most famous circus performers in the early 19th century. Is he relevant to the development of the hood? It's hard to say with so little information on him and the general period of time and at the time of writing this there is no real connection. It is known that Dupuis traveled to Czechia, Germany and Hungary and it seems reasonable to think that he most likely visited many other places.
When Dupuis entertained in Prague during 1835 it is said in a review from February 2 that between he; Laura de Bach, wife of Christoph de Bach; and Kachne, a German conjurer appeared at a theater on January 31 the place was full. Dupuis is listed as Bach's foremost athlete and wrestler. The book this appears in, released by Cambridge University in 1991 calls Dupuis an "equestrian, noted for his feats of strength." The book also calls him a "circus clown," a title that may ring a bell or two for you in a couple of parts time.
Dupuis appeared in Brno for the last time currently recorded in 1847, he faced a man said to be from Prussia by the name of Hercules Krosso (possibly Grosso). The two actually wrestled together in Hungary also. A couple of years after they visited Hungary a wrestler by the name of Toldy Janos, from that country, started coming to prominence. At some point he made his way to France leaving there in 1851 to arrive in Czechia where the last listing we currently have for him is in 1854. Other wrestlers also appeared there prior to 1857 such as: Athlet Carletto; Urban Walter; Josef Hesnik; and Josef Zwosil, who was actually from Brno.
It was on November 1, 1857 that Jason Markules another athlete and wrestler billed as from Munich, Germany. On that night he appeared at the "Circus am Ferdinandsthor." As with all information from this time period there is not much detail, but he defeated a man who was not described or named in the newspapers on his fourth night. Then the next night the challenge from the "Masked Wrestler" came. Sadly the result of the match is unknown.
I think it is safe to say that it can not have gone too badly due to the fact Markules and the circus stayed in Brno until at least November 14. If things had gone badly the circus or at the very least Markules would have left town to avoid putting off crowds from coming back. On the last date we have, he was scheduled to face Kaspar Rolland, but again the result of this encounter has not yet been found. That's it. That is all we know about this first "Magnificently Mysterious Masked Mat Man."
Could this actually be the first masked professional wrestler? Sure, it is possible. Maybe it was decided by the traveling performers that Brno with a railway for a quick-ish escape and maybe it was seen as a city not visited frequently enough to matter if a bridge was burned there for a little while would be the best option. Yes, sure it's certainly possible. My gut and my brain tell me it's unlikely though. I think it is more likely that it had been tried elsewhere and then taken on the road with the circuses as they toured Europe.
While the speculation I lean toward is based on nothing more than circumstance, the idea that most of the top wrestlers from one country knew each other back then and thus a lot of knowledge and ideas got passed around. I can't help but think that is more likely. Something I want to point out before I give my thoughts on the matter is that I am using Dupuis and Krosso as nothing more than examples and I am not trying to imply they were the ones who started it nor do I have any information to suggest that they did.
Having said that as mentioned before Dupuis was a Frenchman. It is considered as much of a fact as anything can be in the world of professional wrestling that the Graeco-Roman style was invented in the 1840s. One line of thought is that the style is made up of the German and French "folk styles" of wrestling. As far as we know it was down to a Frenchman who put it together and that it was a French troupe of wrestlers who first started touring together the decade prior, Dupuis? Those French guys are believed to be the first in adding other extraordinary feats to their acts, if you like you could say they were the very first wrestlers to use "gimmicks." They consisted of sword swallowing, feats of strength, other performing other circus-esque acts.
It was during that time period when the foundations for what has now become "sports entertainment" were formed. The French wrestlers are said to have toured as far as Russia. We know that circuses would pick up folk as they traveled if they thought they could be an asset to the troupe, including wrestlers as shown previously with Dupuis and Krosso ending up touring together. Germany was a very popular place for these circuses to tour and it seems that they were one of the prime breeding grounds in strongman-wrestler combinations, for this reason I do think it's possible the mask may have originated there.
My instincts tell me somewhere down the line the first time was in France. In my mind, not that my mind should be trusted by anyone, there is no doubt that it was the idea of a Frenchman to use the mask and I'm nearly as certain that the new act of showmanship would have been tested in an area that was not too highly populated in their homeland first. As the McMahon's knew for them they had to try it in Madison Square Garden, their home territory, I imagine it would not have been too much different even back in the first half of the 1800s. This may actually be the first time an Englishman has ever documented that he thinks "the French did it" and meant it as a compliment rather than some snide remark.
Anyway, that's just my two cents. So, I suppose I should note that some people don't draw the line of modern professional wrestling versus traditional professional wrestling or even ancient wrestling for that matter. Those people will proudly tell you that the first known masked wrestlers were the Roman gladiators or some other ancient peoples. They'll most likely also tell you that some tribe in Africa at the dawn of time used to wrestle wearing a form of paint and thus they were the first wrestlers to wear face paint. They're most likely right too, but, there is a very clear distinctive line between the professional wrestling that came out of the early part of the 19th century and the kind that was left behind.
Next week we will take a look at the ever popular Parisian hooded hero. Which means all that it left is to leave you with this article from an English newspaper published during 1868, not only does it make me smile, but it also sums up my thoughts on the origins of the mask:
"Paris has had its masked horse-women - not a 'pretty horse-breaker' - its masked wrestlers, its masked singers, and, loving mystery, has not it's 'masked dogs.'"
Phil's findings were about the "Masked Wrestler of Paris" who appeared in 1867. The famed veiled wrestler who was for the longest time believed by almost everybody to have been the first ever man to distort his face with fabric and thus obscure his identity. I actually forget when it was exactly, sometime over the last couple of years, our long term European researcher Ronald, discovered another. Another who came before.
The term legend is often used too frequently and even quite inaccurately at times in relation to it's traditional meaning. When it comes to the sensational Parisian though, to say he is legendary would not be a far cry from the truth. Anyway enough about him, as this is "A Hooded History" it only makes sense to start at the beginning and work chronologically forward. So, his, or should I say their story because we now know there were three all during the same period, shall have to wait until part two.
Unlike his Paris based counterparts, there is absolutely nothing to suggest who this first unknown competitor was. We do know when and where he took to the stage, we even know who his opponent was. Before we get to that I think this is the right place to give just a little background on Czech Republic (Czechia) wrestling. It is not a country that people will instantly associate with wrestling yet it saw many a wrestler pass through though, including our masked man.
When the Industrial Revolution hit Prague, the main city in Czechia found itself a very busy place going into the 19th century. There were coal mines, ironwork's as well as other forms of industry nearby which were integral to revolution taking place. The men working in those types of hard labor jobs would receive a decent wage, but work long hours and with not much transport about, the shows had to come as close to them as possible. Plus there could almost be guaranteed that at least handful of workers with a reputation of some kind, be it of strength, as a tough guy, or something else of that ilk. It would only take a bit of coercing to get one of them to make a challenge backed by money.
The first example we have of this is a man going by the name of "Hercules Carl Franke" back in 1819 who had a short stay in Prague. By the end of the 1830s the railway system of transport reached Czechia. Not as we know it, but horse drawn carriages on tracks. Prague was not the city where it was fist laid though, it actually started in Brno, from Vienna, Austria. With the way transport was evolving, becoming quicker, more efficient it opened the doors even more to traveling performers. The fact Brno was chosen to be the first city to have such a thing shows that it was considered an important part of the country. Somewhere worth going.
Jean Dupuis is the earliest man billed as a wrestler that there is record of appearing in both Prague and Brno. He did this during the 1830s. A Frenchman who traveled Europe as a strong man and wrestler, Dupuis was one of the most famous circus performers in the early 19th century. Is he relevant to the development of the hood? It's hard to say with so little information on him and the general period of time and at the time of writing this there is no real connection. It is known that Dupuis traveled to Czechia, Germany and Hungary and it seems reasonable to think that he most likely visited many other places.
When Dupuis entertained in Prague during 1835 it is said in a review from February 2 that between he; Laura de Bach, wife of Christoph de Bach; and Kachne, a German conjurer appeared at a theater on January 31 the place was full. Dupuis is listed as Bach's foremost athlete and wrestler. The book this appears in, released by Cambridge University in 1991 calls Dupuis an "equestrian, noted for his feats of strength." The book also calls him a "circus clown," a title that may ring a bell or two for you in a couple of parts time.
Dupuis appeared in Brno for the last time currently recorded in 1847, he faced a man said to be from Prussia by the name of Hercules Krosso (possibly Grosso). The two actually wrestled together in Hungary also. A couple of years after they visited Hungary a wrestler by the name of Toldy Janos, from that country, started coming to prominence. At some point he made his way to France leaving there in 1851 to arrive in Czechia where the last listing we currently have for him is in 1854. Other wrestlers also appeared there prior to 1857 such as: Athlet Carletto; Urban Walter; Josef Hesnik; and Josef Zwosil, who was actually from Brno.
It was on November 1, 1857 that Jason Markules another athlete and wrestler billed as from Munich, Germany. On that night he appeared at the "Circus am Ferdinandsthor." As with all information from this time period there is not much detail, but he defeated a man who was not described or named in the newspapers on his fourth night. Then the next night the challenge from the "Masked Wrestler" came. Sadly the result of the match is unknown.
I think it is safe to say that it can not have gone too badly due to the fact Markules and the circus stayed in Brno until at least November 14. If things had gone badly the circus or at the very least Markules would have left town to avoid putting off crowds from coming back. On the last date we have, he was scheduled to face Kaspar Rolland, but again the result of this encounter has not yet been found. That's it. That is all we know about this first "Magnificently Mysterious Masked Mat Man."
Could this actually be the first masked professional wrestler? Sure, it is possible. Maybe it was decided by the traveling performers that Brno with a railway for a quick-ish escape and maybe it was seen as a city not visited frequently enough to matter if a bridge was burned there for a little while would be the best option. Yes, sure it's certainly possible. My gut and my brain tell me it's unlikely though. I think it is more likely that it had been tried elsewhere and then taken on the road with the circuses as they toured Europe.
While the speculation I lean toward is based on nothing more than circumstance, the idea that most of the top wrestlers from one country knew each other back then and thus a lot of knowledge and ideas got passed around. I can't help but think that is more likely. Something I want to point out before I give my thoughts on the matter is that I am using Dupuis and Krosso as nothing more than examples and I am not trying to imply they were the ones who started it nor do I have any information to suggest that they did.
Having said that as mentioned before Dupuis was a Frenchman. It is considered as much of a fact as anything can be in the world of professional wrestling that the Graeco-Roman style was invented in the 1840s. One line of thought is that the style is made up of the German and French "folk styles" of wrestling. As far as we know it was down to a Frenchman who put it together and that it was a French troupe of wrestlers who first started touring together the decade prior, Dupuis? Those French guys are believed to be the first in adding other extraordinary feats to their acts, if you like you could say they were the very first wrestlers to use "gimmicks." They consisted of sword swallowing, feats of strength, other performing other circus-esque acts.
It was during that time period when the foundations for what has now become "sports entertainment" were formed. The French wrestlers are said to have toured as far as Russia. We know that circuses would pick up folk as they traveled if they thought they could be an asset to the troupe, including wrestlers as shown previously with Dupuis and Krosso ending up touring together. Germany was a very popular place for these circuses to tour and it seems that they were one of the prime breeding grounds in strongman-wrestler combinations, for this reason I do think it's possible the mask may have originated there.
My instincts tell me somewhere down the line the first time was in France. In my mind, not that my mind should be trusted by anyone, there is no doubt that it was the idea of a Frenchman to use the mask and I'm nearly as certain that the new act of showmanship would have been tested in an area that was not too highly populated in their homeland first. As the McMahon's knew for them they had to try it in Madison Square Garden, their home territory, I imagine it would not have been too much different even back in the first half of the 1800s. This may actually be the first time an Englishman has ever documented that he thinks "the French did it" and meant it as a compliment rather than some snide remark.
Anyway, that's just my two cents. So, I suppose I should note that some people don't draw the line of modern professional wrestling versus traditional professional wrestling or even ancient wrestling for that matter. Those people will proudly tell you that the first known masked wrestlers were the Roman gladiators or some other ancient peoples. They'll most likely also tell you that some tribe in Africa at the dawn of time used to wrestle wearing a form of paint and thus they were the first wrestlers to wear face paint. They're most likely right too, but, there is a very clear distinctive line between the professional wrestling that came out of the early part of the 19th century and the kind that was left behind.
Next week we will take a look at the ever popular Parisian hooded hero. Which means all that it left is to leave you with this article from an English newspaper published during 1868, not only does it make me smile, but it also sums up my thoughts on the origins of the mask:
"Paris has had its masked horse-women - not a 'pretty horse-breaker' - its masked wrestlers, its masked singers, and, loving mystery, has not it's 'masked dogs.'"
Unique content strictly for the Professional Wrestling Historical Society.
A Hooded History: Chapter One.
Author: Jimmy Wheeler.
Published: August 12, 2016.
Article: #147.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
A Hooded History: Chapter One.
Author: Jimmy Wheeler.
Published: August 12, 2016.
Article: #147.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
A Hooded History: Chapter Two - Read Here.
Other articles by Jimmy can be Read Here.