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June 2005  >  Sports  >  Boxing

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Lot 1639: July 4, 1919 Jack Dempsey vs. Jess Willard Panorama

ITEM DESCRIPTION

 
Reserve: $500.00
Winning Bid: $719.80
Price Realized: $860.16
Auction Date:6/26/2005 9:00 PM EST

It's July 4, 1919, a blistering hot day in Toledo, and in the ring surrounded by a sea of 80,000 spectators, heavyweight champ Jess Willard and challenger Jack Dempsey touch gloves. This remarkable panoramic photo freezing that moment in time -- one of the best boxing shots ever snapped -- makes it seem like every ounce of the tension, anticipation and excitement is crackling in the air just as it did then. The photo, an extreme wide-angle view, reveals every detail of the feverish scene, from the bowler hats worn by nearly every single man to the flags flying atop a grandstand with signs reading "Behr & Co." and "Cressmans Counsellor Cigars." The shot, an early example of rotational photography, in which the camera shoots while being turned (NOT by piecing different photos together), measures a hearty 90" wide and 17" top to bottom. Photo is mounted on a lightweight board and is VG-EX with a small piece of the top border torn off and other areas slightly separated from the board. Great shot of the calm before the storm -- Dempsey knocking down Willard 7 times and nearly killed him in a 3-round carnage, one of the most brutal fights in history.

BIDDING

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