Handstand Collection

Children doing handstands on a Balham street, SW London
Two children, a boy and a girl, doing handstands against a concrete wall on a Balham street, SW London. A smaller child watches them, backed into a corner. Date: circa 1961

POSTER: BOOKS, c1938. This Breaks the Back of a Book! Poster promoting proper care for library books. Silkscreen by Arlington Gregg, c1938

Children doing handstands on a Balham street, SW London
Two children, a boy and a girl, doing handstands against a concrete wall on a Balham street, SW London. A smaller child watches them, backed into a corner. Date: circa 1961

Danish disco dancer Sis Pedersen displayed rather more of herself than planned as she limbered up for the world disco dancing championship to be held in London December 1979

chair
Jacek Klucznik

nobody expects
Tomasz Buczkowski ( Tomush )

Acrobat, 200 B.C. - A.D. 500. Creator: Unknown
Acrobat, 200 B.C. - A.D. 500

Con las suegras, poco y bueno (With the Mother-in-Laws, Little and Good), n.d. Creator: Manuel Manilla
Con las suegras, poco y bueno (With the Mother-in-Laws, Little and Good), n.d

CONTORTION
PHILIPPE GODFROID

Entertainment Contortionist. Make no mistake about this girl - shes a twister. A spineless twister, too. Whats more, shes a snake-in-the-grass, as well

Defiance II
Mosaab Elshamy

Holiday Fun, Guildford Youth Centre, Wednesday 23rd December 1970

A girl practices yoga on the banks of Lake Ohrid in Ohrid, Macedonia April 12, 2018. REUTERS/Ognen Teofilovski

The Fritzsche brothers - German Bicycle Acrobats from Leuben, Dresden, Germany. Date: circa 1907

A Dress Rehearsal, 1868 (oil on panel)
MAN277404 A Dress Rehearsal, 1868 (oil on panel) by Barnard, Frederick (1846-96); 76.1x86.3 cm; Manchester Art Gallery, UK

geometry
arthur kogan

Pub scene (oil on wood)
471473 Pub scene (oil on wood) by Amstel, Jan van (c.1500-c.1544); 30x38 cm; Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp, Belgium; © Art in Flanders

marking my presence
Jennifer Chen

One Hand Scorpion
Javier del Puerto Photography

Mechanical Toy, c. 1941. Creator: Isidore Danziger
Mechanical Toy, c. 1941

Platter, Strasbourg, c. 1770. Creator: Joseph Hannong
Platter, Strasbourg, c. 1770

Perfume burner in the shape of a Chinese lion (bronze)
5914887 Perfume burner in the shape of a Chinese lion (bronze) by Japanese School, (18th-19th century); 31.6x14.5 cm; Photo ePhoto Josse; Japanese, out of copyright

Scene showing that those born under the sign of Aries in conjunction with
BEN78466 Scene showing that those born under the sign of Aries in conjunction with the constellation of the Ship and Dolphin are imparted with aptitudes for navigation and swimming

A performer standing on his head balancing on a glass, plate 96 from
STC249566 A performer standing on his head balancing on a glass, plate 96 from le Bon Genre, c.1810 (colour engraving) by French School

Boys playing handstands (culbute) and boxing (lutte), after an engraving by Claudine Bouzonnet Stella, 17th century. Lithograph from Henry Rene Allemagnes Sports and Games of Skill

Boys playing handstands (culbute) and fart-in-the-face (pet-en-gueule), after an engraving by Claudine Bouzonnet Stella, 17th century

A human bow hovering between two chairs and a motorcycle that passes under it in speed (colour litho)
2778176 A human bow hovering between two chairs and a motorcycle that passes under it in speed (colour litho) by Beltrame

Plate 373. Acrobat, Press Up From Chair, 1872-85 (collotype on paper)
3950345 Plate 373. Acrobat, Press Up From Chair, 1872-85 (collotype on paper) by Muybridge, Eadweard (1830-1904); 18.1x38.9 cm; Addison Gallery of American Art, Phillips Academy, Andover, MA

Plate 372. Acrobat, Horizontal Press Up, 1872-85 (collotype on paper)
3950344 Plate 372. Acrobat, Horizontal Press Up, 1872-85 (collotype on paper) by Muybridge, Eadweard (1830-1904); 21.8x34.5 cm; Addison Gallery of American Art, Phillips Academy, Andover, MA

Handstand
LLM457939 Handstand by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Handstand. Victorian scrap.); © Look and Learn

The Bathers (oil on canvas)
CK101570 The Bathers (oil on canvas) by Marval, Jacqueline (1866-1932); 114.3x87.6 cm; Private Collection; Photo eCrane Kalman Gallery, London, UK; French, out of copyright

Female gymnast doing hand-stand (colour litho)
5198439 Female gymnast doing hand-stand (colour litho) by Garnier, Jules Arsene (1847-89) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: Female gymnast doing hand-stand)

Le Tour Du Monde D Un Gamin De Paris (engraving)
2783278 Le Tour Du Monde D Un Gamin De Paris (engraving) by French School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Le Tour Du Monde D Un Gamin De Paris)

Quadrille at the Bal Bullier, Place de l Observatoire, Paris, engraved by G. Barry, c
CHT167395 Quadrille at the Bal Bullier, Place de l Observatoire, Paris, engraved by G. Barry, c.1860-65 (colour litho) by Linder, Philippe Jacques (fl.1857-1880) (after); Musee de la Ville de Paris

Plate 371. Acrobat, Vertical Press Up, 1872-85 (collotype on paper)
3950343 Plate 371. Acrobat, Vertical Press Up, 1872-85 (collotype on paper) by Muybridge, Eadweard (1830-1904); 17.6x41.9 cm; Addison Gallery of American Art, Phillips Academy, Andover, MA

Plate 488. A, Lawn Tennis; B, Dumb Bells; C, Walking on Hands
3950099 Plate 488. A, Lawn Tennis; B, Dumb Bells; C, Walking on Hands, 1872-85 (collotype on paper) by Muybridge, Eadweard (1830-1904); 18.9x36.4 cm; Addison Gallery of American Art

Boy performing gymnastic feat to consternation of aunt (colour litho)
3102361 Boy performing gymnastic feat to consternation of aunt (colour litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

Bacchanalian Games
MEL48642 Bacchanalian Games by Clodion, Claude Michel (1738-1814); State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia; French, out of copyright

Perfume burner in the shape of a Chinese lion (bronze)
5914886 Perfume burner in the shape of a Chinese lion (bronze) by Japanese School, (18th-19th century); 31.6x14.5 cm; Musee Cernuschi, Paris, France; Photo ePhoto Josse; Japanese, out of copyright

Stripes
Kaylin A©PSB Photo2015. Howard Ashton-Jones

Photo souvenir with castle
Nicodemo Quaglia

English League Division One match at Anfield. Liverpool 1 v Norwich City 1. Celebrations for the Liverpool team as they acknowledge their fans at the end of the season in which they claimed their

Circus performers, Otto Europa and his nine year old son standing on their hands. 15th September 1983

Thrill seekers have found a new way of living dangerously - on the steep slopes of a seaside park. Hurtling down a bank at 40 m.p.h. is the latest craze to hit South Shields

Girls playing in a school yard. 18th October 1965

Entertainment Contortionist. Make no mistake about this girl - shes a twister. A spineless twister, too. Whats more, shes a snake-in-the-grass, as well

Grace and Poise demonstrated in the antics of the Sehlingloff Troupe during rehearsals yesterday for the Belle Vue, Manchester circus. December 1969 Z12263-005

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"Capturing the Joy: Handstands in Balham Street, SW London" Children fill the streets of Balham with laughter and excitement as they defy gravity, their tiny hands supporting their weight in perfect handstands. The vibrant energy of these young adventurers is contagious, spreading smiles to all who witness their fearless acrobatics. In a nostalgic twist, an old poster from 1938 catches our attention. It proudly declares that books can break one's back - a humorous reminder of simpler times when physical strength was needed to carry knowledge. Amidst the urban landscape, hip hop beats reverberate through the air as a talented dancer showcases his skills atop a car. His handstand becomes an expression of art and rebellion, merging two worlds into one captivating performance. Returning to Balham street once more, we find children continuing their playful exploration of gravity-defying stunts. Their determination and fearlessness inspire us all to embrace our inner child and see the world from new perspectives. Traveling across borders now, we encounter the Fritzsche brothers – German Bicycle Acrobats whose incredible talent takes them soaring through mid-air on two wheels. Their awe-inspiring handstands leave audiences breathless with admiration for their skillful precision. Stepping back in time even further, we stumble upon an oil painting capturing a dress rehearsal from 1868. Amongst elegant dancers twirling gracefully across the stage stands one performer defying convention by striking a daring handstand pose – showcasing hidden emotions within her artistic expression. Sometimes unexpected moments occur during performances; Danish disco dancer Sis Pedersen experienced this firsthand when she unintentionally revealed more than planned while executing her impressive moves upside down. A reminder that even professionals have unpredictable moments. Beyond physicality lies another dimension - hidden emotions emerge like butterflies breaking free from chrysalises. Handstands become metaphors for personal growth and transformation as individuals learn to balance vulnerability with strength. Not limited to humans, even our marine friends get in on the handstand action.