The Hardest Game

My dad was a bare-knuckle fighter in the 30s, among many other things, in the dock area of the East End of London. He also fought in New York in the 30s. When I was a kid I wanted to take some pictures of him and told him I’d make him look good. He told me to take a hard picture of him, adding “Don’t look at the lines, look deeper. A lot of living and a bit of suffering went into how I look. Don’t forget that.” I’ve tried not to in the following pictures.

JOHN CLARIDGE