Arthur Lane
Arthur Lane learned and taught fencing in the San Francisco, area and was an avid researcher of the local history of the sport. He began his fencing with Hans Halberstadt after a stint in the Army. He fenced locally and had some success but seemed more interested in learning to teach the sport over competitive achievements.
A series of letters and responses from the mid-1950s proved highly useful to this Archive, as he worked to trace the history of the fencing masters who had taught in the area, finding names and dates for instructors dating to the 1850s. He opened the Berkeley Fencers on University Avenue, which ran for many years and also taught sporadically at UC Berkeley.
READ MORE...Sporadically due to lack of commitment to fencing on the part of the university. He continued to teach into his later years and spent a great deal of time at Pacific Fencers in Alameda, CA, teaching alongside owner/Maestro Harold Hayes.
Articles
In Vino Spiritus
The Latin meaning of that, according to Google Translate, is “Wine of the Spirit”. As a philistine in the ways of Latin, I’ll have to accept it. No clue. Truly.
The First Selection: Ted Lorber
I’m not sure of the original source for the story, but it goes like this. In the early days of the AFLA, precursor to today’s USA Fencing, the East Coast was in charge.
Image Upgrades by Happenstance
I love running across old photos of fencers. It doesn’t matter who’s in them or what condition they’re in for me to be fascinated with the discovery and the challenge of putting names to faces.
The Salle in the Woods
In the woods of Southern Oregon off a dirt road and across a valley from the winding I-5 was a fencing salle d’armes built by Charlie Selberg in an old barn. It was stuffed to the rafters with fencing memorabilia dating back decades.
The Search for Al Snyder, National Champion
Typically, US National Foil Champions are reasonably well documented, particularly in their home town. That doesn’t seem to be the case with Alfred R. Snyder, 1944 US foil champion.
The Historical Documents of Arthur Lane
The year now gone we knew as 2015 saw the passing of long-time fencer, fencing master, fencing club founder and all around gentleman, Arthur Lane.
Photo Gallery
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