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Reno,NV - Washoe county - July 4, 1910 - Johnson-Jeffries Prizefight RPC Collection :

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Western Americana Start Price:500.00 USD Estimated At:1,000.00 - 2,000.00 USD
Reno,NV - Washoe county - July 4, 1910 - Johnson-Jeffries Prizefight RPC Collection :
Lot of 21 RPCs showing aspects and scenes of the Jack Johnson and Jim Jeffries fight. Many photos taken by Dana Studio of San Francisco. Included are: Crowded arena where the fight took place (2); No. 47--Street scene at Reno on fight morning; a different arena shot; people coming out of the stands after the fight; Reno downtown parade shot (2 different shots)); group of dignitaries standing next to construction of the platform (2 different shots); Center Street in Reno on the day of the fight; Group of men crowding around Jeffries?; Johnson and aides at ringside?; Group of officials (all identified) at ringside before the fight; man feeding a small sheep; two boxers fighting (not Johnson and Jeffries) in a pre-fight?; 2 different shots of men talking; one shot of 4 men posing for camera and another of 3 of those same men; Johnson? At ringside dressed in a suit; and one group scene of many men (nearly all with straw hats), presumably on the day of the fight. The “Fight of the Century” brought 20,000 spectators to Reno—more than equaling the population of the city at that time. Initially slated to take place in San Francisco, the fight was then awarded to Reno when California’s governor vowed the fight would not take place in his state. This was a true boon for Nevada, as people poured into Reno from all over the world. And, at a time in history when white men dominated almost every aspect of politics, economics, sports, and society—and racial prejudice was rampant—Jeffries, known as “The Great White Hope,” was believed to be superior and expected to win. The fact that he was soundly defeated by Johnson—who two years earlier had become the first black Heavy Weight Champion of the world when he defeated Canada’s Tommy Burns—was a blow to the racist world. As a footnote to the profound social implications of this fight, there were some notable reporters covering the event, two of which were novelist Jack London and former gunfighter Bat Masterson, reporting for the New York Morning Telegraph.