The Ardent Bowlers

The Ardent Bowlers — Peggy Bacon. 1932.

Medium: etching. Dimensions: Platemark: 15 x 35.3 cm (5 7/8 x 13 7/8 in.); Sheet: 25.5 x 45.3 cm (10 1/16 x 17 13/16 in.).

Collection record: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland. Museum connection according to this source; current display unverified.

By the 1910s, there were hundreds of public bowling alleys in New York City, usually in the basements of saloons. In this image, Peggy Bacon focused on the mix of genders and imbibing of alcohol associated with the sport. The work features 17 of Bacon’s friends, all artists, partaking in their regular Wednesday night recreation. Reginald Marsh is shown at the far left, and Bacon included a self-portrait at the lower center (with her back to the viewer). Having studied under both George Bellows and John Sloan at the Art Students League, Bacon was one of a growing number of women who sought independence and professional success in America’s cities.

Source: official collection record. Metadata selected and normalized by Artline from the source export, accessed 10 September 2026; no museum endorsement. Reproduction rights are separate.