Jack Johnson vs. James J. Jeffries

An album of photographic postcards issued ‘With Hugh D. Mcintosh’s Compliments’ to commemorate what was billed as The Fight of the Century, 1p. of Mcintosh’s compliments and 45 silver gelatin print cartes postales, all by Dana Photo Studios San Francisco, captioned, one with a repaired tear, with 7 Kodak Australia postcards depicting Bob Fitzsimmons’ fight against Bill Lang, original vellum, gilt-lettered on upper board, stained with some loss to spine and upper board, lacking ties, [1910]

Provenance: Modern manuscript note 'This belonged to Sir Harry Preston' (Brighton hotelier and amateur boxer). McIntosh had staged a world championship heavyweight title fight between Tommy Burns and Jack Johnson on Boxing Day 1908.

***The Fight of the Century was a boxing match between the first African American World Heavyweight Champion and the previously undefeated ‘Great White Hope’ James J. Jeffries on July 4, 1910, US Independence Day. It was highly significant in the history of race relations in the U.S., and led to the Johnson–Jeffries riots in which more than 20 people died.

As well as the fight itself, the postcards depict: crowd scenes; Johnson’s wife; former champions John L. Sullivan, Bob Fitzsimmons, and Tom Sharkey.