Busch, Anette

[Anette Busch ephemera, first non-Japanese female sumo wrestler]

[Tokyo]: [publisher not identified], [ca. 1917]. 10.5" x 7.5" broadside advertising a circus-like event featuring "strong woman" Anette Busch, promising a series of stunts, celebrities, and "super-human" strength. Broadside is very good to near fine, prominently featuring Busch herself, ready to rumble. A pair of two small staple holes along the right side. 

Includes four 5.5" x 3.5" black and white postcards; two feature Busch with weights and straps (handwriting in Japanese on the back of one postcard), one features Busch performing a stunt where she lays under a board while a car drives over her, and the final postcard features a man being shot out of a cannon with the Japanese flag flying prominently. Postcards are collected in original envelope wrapper with Japanese text printed on one side. Postcards show slight wear but overall very good; envelope has slight tears and wear along edges, good. Item #2712

Anette Busch (1882-1969) was born in a rural Estonian village where she began training at a local sports club. Showing great promise, Busch eventually moved to Russia to join a circus troupe, performing stunts like breaking iron chains, bending bars, and snapping copper coins in half. Outperforming, by far, the men in her village, Busch caught the attention of the Japanese who invited her to Japan to tour. Busch ended up remaining in Japan to escape the Russian Revolution in 1917. In Japan, she would become a successful and celebrated entertainer. Busch eventually learned Japanese and mastered the art of sumo, becoming the first non-Japanese female sumo wrestler. "In addition to her great wrestling skills, Anette became famous for her outstanding stunt: she stood in the bridge position, a large plank was placed on her chest and ten members of an orchestra made themselves comfortable and played instruments." Very few non-Japanese wrestlers made it to the sumo ring, one being the notable, and fellow Estonian, Kaido Höövelson (Baruto Kaito). Sources: "Women's Wrestling Pioneers," DeviantArt.com, and "The Art of Thinking with the Other," Rein Raud/New England Review

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Price: $650.00