Photography provides a very effective way to create memories. You can find photos of many current and past celebrities for sale on Delcampe. They include singers, actors, politicians...as well as athletes who had an impact on their era and that we’ve forgotten for the most part. Here are a few.
François Bonlieu
Born on 18 March 1937, François Bonlieu was a stand-out French skier. He won the
silver medal at the world Championships of 1954 when he was 16 years old. Ten years later at the Innsbruck Olympic Games in 1964, he won the gold medal
in the giant slalom. While these two successes are worthy of being highlighted, he also won other medals that made him a legend. He became a professional skier in 1965. He died in 1973 at the age of 36 after being injured in a fight on the croisette in Nice. However, he left his mark on skiing history.
Fred Bretonnel
Fred Bretonnel marked the history of French boxing. He was born in 1905 and entered the ring for the first time in 1919 at the age of 14. He won the school championship in the minimum weight category at that age. He then moved to England to continue his training.
He won several titles there. After returning to France, he won the French lightweight title in 1923. After competing in the European championship, he left for the United States. However, the boxer was disappointed by the trip.
He returned to France where he suffered from depression and neurasthenia and committed suicide on 4 September 1928.
Jean Porporato
Jean Porporato was a racing driver born in 1879. He was very successful in the early 20th century. He first worked as a mechanic in Lyon and started attending races in 1907. He entered the Grand Prix of France in 1914. He then ran the Indianapolis 500 in 1915.
He took part in many other races including famous ones like the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1925. He sometimes raced under the French flag and sometimes under the Italian flag. While he has been completely forgotten by the general public, he was a renowned racing driver a hundred years ago!
Miss Billie Tapscott
A South African national, Daphne Ruth Tapscott, nicknamed Billie, was born in 1903. She played internationally, reaching the quarter-finals in France in 1927 and at Wimbledon in 1929.
She also won the South African championship four times. She married Colin Robbins, a compatriot and tennis player, in 1930. We don’t know much about her besides the fact that she died in 1970, but she was immortalised for us in photos!
Ernst Gebendinger
This Swiss gymnastics champion is also unknown today. He was born in Winterthur in Switzerland. He won three gold medals at the artistic gymnastics world championships in 1950.
He also took part in the Helsinki Olympic Games in 1952, where he won the team silver medal. He lived a long life and died on 23 May 2017 at the age of 91.
It’s a bit odd to pay homage to these forgotten celebrities, but it’s part of the charm of my work to bring people who have been relegated to the shadows back into the light. The photos shown here are just five among many others!
Would you like to find other photos of celebrities that you may or may not remember…You can find thousands of them on Delcampe!
