Kojl Yamada and Willie Hoppe, Billiards Champions Original Photograph c1906/1907.
Quite uncommon large, beautiful portrait of William Frederick Hoppe (1887-1959) nicely posed with Koji Yamada (dates unknown)at an unknown pool hall location (possibly Chicago).Hoppe is considered by many as the greatest billiards player of all time winning his first world title at the age of 18 beating the French champion Maurice Vignaux in 1906.By his retirement in 1952 he had won 51 world titles, written several books on billiards and in 1966 was inducted into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame. Size:16 1/2″ x 11 1/2″. (Item 244)
Koji Yamada was the Japanese champion of the day who toured the US several times in the early 20th century playing Hoppe in many exhibition matches across the country.In 1913 Yamada and Hoppe faced off in the finals of the world championship at the Hotel Astor in NYC with Hoppe coming out on top.
We were able to confirm that Hoppe & Yamada played against each other in either tournaments or exhibition matches in Chicago in 1906 & 1914; New York in 1912, 1913 & 1915; Boston in 1915 & 18 and in Hartford, Connecticut in 1915.There is no doubt that there were other dates as well.Given Whitesell’s sketchy dates of living in the Indiana and Chicago region which falls roughly from around 1890’s until about 1917-18 coupled with the notation on the verso, this portrait may have been made in Chicago. Very early original billiard historical photograph of Willie Hoppe the greatest billiard master of all time.
Professional Photograph by: Joseph Woodson Whitesell
