Alphonse Steurs Wrestling Champion Poster c.1905

This is a museum-grade reproduction of a striking circus-era sports poster promoting Alphonse Steurs, the Belgian wrestler billed as "Champion du Monde de Luttes" (World Champion of Wrestling), created circa 1905.

The poster was printed by the celebrated Adolph Friedlander lithographic firm of Hamburg, the most prolific and admired producer of circus, variety, and sideshow posters of the era. Friedlander's studio supplied performers across Europe with bold, eye-catching advertising, and its imagery is now avidly collected as a record of the golden age of popular entertainment. This is one of several existing Friedlander posters featuring Steurs, underscoring how widely the strongman toured.

The design is a masterclass in commanding portraiture. Steurs fills the sheet, his powerful shoulders and arms rendered in soft lithographic tones, his handsome mustachioed face gazing calmly and directly at the viewer. Across his chest hangs a cascade of championship medals, wreathed medallions, stars, and decorations that testify to his victories in the ring. His name blazes in heavy black display type at the upper right, "ALPHONSE STEURS (BELGE) CHAMPION DU MONDE DE LUTTES," while the same billing appears in Cyrillic at the left, "Alfons Sters," evidence of the international circuit that carried him across borders. An oval inset vignette at the top left advertises his additional credentials as an instructor of police, of jiu-jitsu, of catch-as-catch-can wrestling, and of boxing, depicting lively scenes of instruction and combat.

Alphonse Steurs (born in the Antwerp region of Belgium in 1875) specialized in Greco-Roman wrestling and competed and toured internationally in the first decade of the twentieth century, appearing in Austria, Germany, the United States, and Canada between roughly 1905 and 1911. In an age before radio, film, and television, professional wrestling was a leading spectator entertainment, staged in music halls, circus tents, and variety theaters where hometown crowds cheered their champions against foreign challengers. Posters like this one were pasted on walls and hoardings to draw those crowds to his exhibitions, blending genuine athletic celebrity with the theatrical showmanship of the traveling variety hall. The bilingual French and Cyrillic billing on this sheet captures that cosmopolitan touring life, a reminder that champions of the day sold tickets from Paris to the Russian Empire, and the parade of decorations across Steurs's chest served as instant, wordless proof of his standing to audiences who might not read either language.

With its muscular graphic presence, vintage typography, and rich documentary detail, this print is a wonderful choice for a home gym, sports den, man cave, gym or boxing studio, garage, or any space that celebrates strength, athletic history, and early twentieth-century design. It makes a distinctive gift for wrestlers, strongman and combat-sports enthusiasts, personal trainers, and lovers of antique advertising.

Every print is produced on museum-grade 189gsm archival matte paper with a smooth, refined surface that beautifully renders the subtle grays and deep blacks of the original stone lithograph. We use fade-resistant pigment inks for lasting tonal richness and sharp detail. Available in five sizes to fit standard frames, each poster ships rolled in a sturdy protective tube to arrive in perfect condition. 🆓 ✈️ Free US shipping on this item.

Styling tip: a matte black metal frame reinforces the bold, athletic mood, while a natural-wood frame softens it for a warmer vintage feel. Pair with other antique sports, boxing, or circus posters for a strong gallery wall, or hang it solo above a weight bench or desk as a motivating, characterful focal point that starts conversations.