Below is a selective list of Golden Age
professional wrestling history sites.
If you would like to recommend others please contact us.
If you would like to recommend others please contact us.
Getting Started in Pro Wrestling History
Every serious student or enthusiast of professional wrestling history should do two things: join the Cauliflower Alley Club and purchase the back issues of Scott Teal's publication Whatever Happened To...?. Add all you can to your collection while they last. Most of them are sold out, but the good news is that Scott is planning to reprint the interviews, along with previously unpublished ones, in his new series entitled The Wrestling Archive Project.
Scott specializes in interviews with former wrestling stars and does an outstanding job of preserving the oral history of a bygone era of show business, giving the reader an intimate sense of what it was like to be a part of professional wrestling entertainment during The Golden Age. There is no better source for insight into the deceptive elements of the pro wrestling business.
House of Deception Favorites
Evan Ginzburg - Wrestling Then and Now
Karl Stern - The Stern Stick.
Dave Meltzer's and Bryan Alvarez' Wrestling Observer and Figure Four Online.
Wrestling Blogs
Our favorite pro wrestling blog was penned by Richard Berger, a freelance writer and editor with an extensive background in professional wrestling. He has a strong interest in what he calls "the art of misdirection for entertainment purposes." You will enjoy his Perspectives on Wrestling.
California Wrestling, Promoter Roy Shire
Viktor Berry's "An Illustrated History of Pro Wrestling in Northern California" [see note below] is a must for anyone interested in Roy Shire's immensely successful NWA promotion of the 1960's and 70's. Vik Berry, like Scott Teal, is an amateur magician. From the perspective of the magician, both offer some little known and fascinating insights into the deceptive elements of the wrestling show.
[Note: Viktor Berry's new and improved site is BigTimeWrestlingOnline.com. He is working hard to publish it as soon as possible. If you have his email address, please send him a note of encouragement. Or you can email The House of Deception and we will forward your message to Vik.]
Canada
For the history of pro wrestling in Canada, start with Andrew Calvert's Maple Leaf Wrestling, which includes Gary Will's Toronto Wrestling History. Gary is another magician in the pro wrestling world.
See also Greg Oliver's articles on SLAM! Wrestling and read his excellent book, The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Canadians, as well as his other books, co-authored with Steve Johnson, in The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame series.
Wrestling Midgets
See our Midget Wrestlers page for the web's largest photo gallery of the Little Wrestling Stars of the Golden Age.
Cauliflower Alley Club
Click here to see our Cauliflower Alley Club Reunion Photos. Please email any corrections or additions for the captions. The club's website is here.
Wrestler Artists
Our Wrestler Artists page features works by Lord Carlton, George Gordienko, Ted Lewin, Steve Strong, Jim Bertz, and Vittorio Argentina Apollo. Please let us know if you would like your artwork--or that of an athlete you admire--shown here at The House of Deception.
British Wrestlers
On the British Wrestlers page there are eighty-three photos, all from our collection, of wrestlers who worked in Leeds, England, during the 1950's and 1960's and another with over a hundred more pictures from our London wrestling collection.
There you will also find a link to John Lister's superb article, The History of British Wrestling accompanied by photos from our archive, and a Kendo Nagasaki page with unique photos of this enigmatic master of deception.
Wrestling Heritage is The Home of British Wrestling History.You will find brief biographies of most of the British wrestling legends pictured here at the House of Deception, plus many more. Wrestling Heritage is a biographical gold mine.
Care and Preservation of Posters and other Old Paper
To learn to properly care for your library and collection see The Library of Congress, Collections Care and Preserving Works on Paper.
The American Institute for Conservation is a professional organization for conservators. Their Caring for Your Treasures pages provide useful brochures, in PDF format, on conserving books, photos and other paper documents.
The folks at Scrapbook.com have created a comprehensive page about paper, document, and photo preservation. Information on how paper deteriorates and what various papers are composed of is included.
Related Sites
Because the focus of The House of Deception is Golden Age history, we usually limit our link recommendations to similar historical sites. If you want a broader, more eclectic list of sites, try ProWrestlingHistory.com.
Every serious student or enthusiast of professional wrestling history should do two things: join the Cauliflower Alley Club and purchase the back issues of Scott Teal's publication Whatever Happened To...?. Add all you can to your collection while they last. Most of them are sold out, but the good news is that Scott is planning to reprint the interviews, along with previously unpublished ones, in his new series entitled The Wrestling Archive Project.
Scott specializes in interviews with former wrestling stars and does an outstanding job of preserving the oral history of a bygone era of show business, giving the reader an intimate sense of what it was like to be a part of professional wrestling entertainment during The Golden Age. There is no better source for insight into the deceptive elements of the pro wrestling business.
House of Deception Favorites
Evan Ginzburg - Wrestling Then and Now
Karl Stern - The Stern Stick.
Dave Meltzer's and Bryan Alvarez' Wrestling Observer and Figure Four Online.
Wrestling Blogs
Our favorite pro wrestling blog was penned by Richard Berger, a freelance writer and editor with an extensive background in professional wrestling. He has a strong interest in what he calls "the art of misdirection for entertainment purposes." You will enjoy his Perspectives on Wrestling.
California Wrestling, Promoter Roy Shire
Viktor Berry's "An Illustrated History of Pro Wrestling in Northern California" [see note below] is a must for anyone interested in Roy Shire's immensely successful NWA promotion of the 1960's and 70's. Vik Berry, like Scott Teal, is an amateur magician. From the perspective of the magician, both offer some little known and fascinating insights into the deceptive elements of the wrestling show.
[Note: Viktor Berry's new and improved site is BigTimeWrestlingOnline.com. He is working hard to publish it as soon as possible. If you have his email address, please send him a note of encouragement. Or you can email The House of Deception and we will forward your message to Vik.]
Canada
For the history of pro wrestling in Canada, start with Andrew Calvert's Maple Leaf Wrestling, which includes Gary Will's Toronto Wrestling History. Gary is another magician in the pro wrestling world.
See also Greg Oliver's articles on SLAM! Wrestling and read his excellent book, The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Canadians, as well as his other books, co-authored with Steve Johnson, in The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame series.
Wrestling Midgets
See our Midget Wrestlers page for the web's largest photo gallery of the Little Wrestling Stars of the Golden Age.
Cauliflower Alley Club
Click here to see our Cauliflower Alley Club Reunion Photos. Please email any corrections or additions for the captions. The club's website is here.
Wrestler Artists
Our Wrestler Artists page features works by Lord Carlton, George Gordienko, Ted Lewin, Steve Strong, Jim Bertz, and Vittorio Argentina Apollo. Please let us know if you would like your artwork--or that of an athlete you admire--shown here at The House of Deception.
British Wrestlers
On the British Wrestlers page there are eighty-three photos, all from our collection, of wrestlers who worked in Leeds, England, during the 1950's and 1960's and another with over a hundred more pictures from our London wrestling collection.
There you will also find a link to John Lister's superb article, The History of British Wrestling accompanied by photos from our archive, and a Kendo Nagasaki page with unique photos of this enigmatic master of deception.
Wrestling Heritage is The Home of British Wrestling History.You will find brief biographies of most of the British wrestling legends pictured here at the House of Deception, plus many more. Wrestling Heritage is a biographical gold mine.
Care and Preservation of Posters and other Old Paper
To learn to properly care for your library and collection see The Library of Congress, Collections Care and Preserving Works on Paper.
The American Institute for Conservation is a professional organization for conservators. Their Caring for Your Treasures pages provide useful brochures, in PDF format, on conserving books, photos and other paper documents.
The folks at Scrapbook.com have created a comprehensive page about paper, document, and photo preservation. Information on how paper deteriorates and what various papers are composed of is included.
Related Sites
Because the focus of The House of Deception is Golden Age history, we usually limit our link recommendations to similar historical sites. If you want a broader, more eclectic list of sites, try ProWrestlingHistory.com.
HouseofDeception.com
Sacramento, California USA
info@houseofdeception.com
about
Sacramento, California USA
info@houseofdeception.com
about
**********************Note to Aspiring Pro Wrestlers**********************
The House of Deception focuses on the history of deception, including pro wrestling. If your goal is to get into the wrestling business--as wrestler, referee, announcer or manager--do this: get in shape and learn to wrestle (especially if you are still in school). Later you may be able to find a reputable pro wrestling school in your area. Contact as many knowledgeable people as possible. But above all, do this: listen, don't talk! Don't be a know-it-all. We have watched the very best trainers--including Les Thatcher, Harley Race, Walter Kowalski, Scott Casey, Bruce Hart and Leon White--work with young aspiring pro wrestlers. When you have an opportunity to learn from experienced professionals like these, be respectful and listen intently!
The House of Deception focuses on the history of deception, including pro wrestling. If your goal is to get into the wrestling business--as wrestler, referee, announcer or manager--do this: get in shape and learn to wrestle (especially if you are still in school). Later you may be able to find a reputable pro wrestling school in your area. Contact as many knowledgeable people as possible. But above all, do this: listen, don't talk! Don't be a know-it-all. We have watched the very best trainers--including Les Thatcher, Harley Race, Walter Kowalski, Scott Casey, Bruce Hart and Leon White--work with young aspiring pro wrestlers. When you have an opportunity to learn from experienced professionals like these, be respectful and listen intently!
Midget
Golden Age Pro Wrestling History Links-2023
All Rights Reserved
Duff Johnson 2004-2023
No text or image may be copied or
reproduced without written permission.
Duff Johnson 2004-2023
No text or image may be copied or
reproduced without written permission.
| Contact | Home | "Golden Age" Defined |
