Lot 512
Boxing Greats: Joe Louis, Jack Dempsey, Max Baer, Max Schmeling and Jack Sharkey. A remarkable collection of ephemera centered on some of history's greatest prize fighters. First a signed and inscribed menu by Jack Dempsey from his Jack Dempsey's Restaurant at Fiftieth Street and Eighth Ave, and based on the prices within, clearly from the late 1930s. Signature excellent, bold and written in black fountain pen. Also included is a vintage re-strike 10" x 8" photo in classic boxing pose, signed and dated in 1970 by Dempsey. Next a signed and dated vintage original 10" x 8" double-weight portrait of Joe Louis printed in warm sepia, dated 1941 boldly signed in black fountain pen with indistinguishable photographer's stamp on verso. Next on personal letterhead a letter by Max Schmeling with address as Bad Saarow, Germany and dated July 15, 1933. Also from 1933 a hand inscribed and signed note by Max Baer dated 12/17/33 on what appears to be a custom men's store letterhead. Finally a signed menu, also likely from the 1930s given the prices, from The Sportsman Cafe in New York signed by Jack Sharkey. All of these pieces are in excellent condition, and represent a storied history of boxing champions from the 1930s. With two 8 x 10 in. photo restrikes with original signatures, one of Carmen Basilio an Italian-American boxer who won the world championship in both the welterweight and middleweight classes, and one of Max Schmelling. In 1936, Schmelling defeated American boxer Joe Louis, who was African American, but Louis came back and beat Schmelling in 1938. Much was made of these matches because Hitler and the Nazis were in power in Germany and professed Aryan superiority. Schmelling and Louis became good friends later in life. Together with a commemorative restrike 10 x 8 in. photo of Jesse Owens during one of the heats of the 200-meter run in the 1936 Olympics, signed and inscribed.
Estimated Value $500 - 1,000.
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| Realized $336 |
