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Gans-Nelson Fight Film Reproduction 1906 [119712]

Currency:USD Category:Memorabilia / Sports - Boxing Start Price:1,000.00 USD Estimated At:2,000.00 - 5,000.00 USD
Gans-Nelson Fight Film Reproduction  1906  [119712]

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This is a the only known film footage of the reproduction of the boxing match between Oscar Nielson (Battling Nelson) and Joe Gans that took place on Labor Day, September 3, 1906 in Goldfield, Nevada. The film was produced by Siegmund Lubin of the Philadelphia based Lubin Manufacturing Company. Even though he produced comedies and documentary type films, such as showing preparations for the Spanish American War, his staple was the re-creation of the biggest boxing matches of the era. Among the fight “Reproductions” that Lubin’s company filmed, beginning in 1897, were Corbett-Fitzsimmons, Fitzsimmons-Jeffries, Nelson-Britt and several more, beginning in 1897.

What makes this particular film stand out is that, according to the Internet Movie Data Base, this title does not exist among Lubin’s credits. A check with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Film Preservation, also fails to turn up the title among Lubin’s productions. This reel contains 1,250 feet of film, making this copy about 22 minutes in length, which obviously means that Lubin was only re-enacting highlights of the 47 round fight. This fight is often placed in the top 10 of all time by several boxing analysts. One very important thing to realize about this film stock, is that because it’s pre-1950s, it is printed on nitrate stock and extremely flammable. It’s because of this, that we require that this item be picked up at the Holabird office in Reno or that the winner of the lot make the required shipping arrangements, including the expense. Goldfield Nevada Fred Holabird Collection