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Lot # 14: 1920 Jack Johnson, "Set to Surrender at the United States Border" Important Photo in Exile!

Category: Boxing

Starting Bid: $25.00

Bids: 30 (Bid History)

Time Left: Auction closed
Lot / Auction Closed




This lot is closed. Bidding is not allowed.

Item was in Auction "May Collectors Auction 2020",
which ran from 5/23/2020 11:00 PM to
6/6/2020 8:00 PM



In the long and storied life of Jack Johnson, he suffered as much as any athlete for nothing more than the color of his skin. He endured far worse than Jackie Robinson yet his turmoil is largely forgotten today. In 1913 he was convicted essentially for dating a white woman, but officially it was a violation of the "Mann Act" despite the alleged crime taking place before the act passed. He lived in exile in Mexico for years and finally in 1920 he agreed to surrender to officials to serve his year in jail. The offered photograph is taken on the morning of his surrender as he was looking trim and ready to fight, but in reality he was throwing in the towel. A unique new discovery, the photo is clear and bold but the long handwritten letter on the back from a reporter named George H. White of the San Diego Evening Tribune is amazing. It talks of the surrender, how good Johnson looked, and how little he seemed to care about going to jail! Despite a crease and some wear, it presents beautifully and this might be the most important photo of Jack Johnson to hit the auction market in years! You will likely never see this photo again!

Size: 8x10
Designation: Vintage 1
Condition: 1.5/5
Quality: 5/5
Overall Grade: 6.5/10

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