Author Talk: "Come Out Swinging: the Changing World of Boxing in Gleason's Gym" with Lucia Trimbur -

Please join us this Wednesday, February 26th, for an evening with Lucia Trimbur, author of Come Out Swinging: the changing world of boxing in Gleason's Gym.  Founded in the Bronx in 1937, Gleason's Gym moved to Brooklyn's DUMBO neighborhood in the 1980s and remains there to this day, even as redevelopment and an influx of wealth transformed the waterfront area.  A holdover from the "golden age" of boxing, Gleason's itself has transformed through the years; the changing demographic of its clientele reflects broader trends beyond the roped boundaries of the boxing ring. 

From the June 12, 1949 Brooklyn Eagle newspaper: "Boxing bouts are responsible for some of those big muscles featured by all members of Coney Island Athletic Association."

We are also pleased to announce a new exhibit in the Brooklyn Collection, which coincides with the theme of tonight's lecture.  "Sports in Brooklyn" surveys the history of the borough at play, looking past the obvious athletic icons (dem bums, that is) to the recreational passtimes of everyday Brooklynites -- the basketball teams, cycling clubs, and junior boxing leagues that fluorished as Brooklynites tested one another's mettle in various forms of physical exertion. 

The girls basketball team at Gregg Chapel, the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church's mission to Italian immigrants in the Gowanus neighborhood, circa 1920.

A wine and cheese reception, as well as distribution of tickets, is at 6:30 p.m. The Brooklyn Collection is located on the 2nd floor balcony of the Central Library at Grand Army Plaza. Seating is limited to 40.