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Details
The Lives and Battles of Tom Sayers, the Champion of England, and John C. Heenan, “The Benicia Boy.” With Full Accounts of their Various Contests in the Ring. Embellished with Life-Like Portraits. To Which is added the New Rules of the Ring. New York: Robert M. De Witt, 1860.
8º (245 x 157mm). Text in double column. Two large folding wood engravings. (The second engraving with two tears along folds, 2/1 with marginal tear crossing text, Spitz ownership stamp crossing headline on last leaf.) Original printed wrappers; folding cloth case. Provenance: Ernest Gee (1878-c.1940, British-born American bookseller, founding member of the Old Book Table and author of Early American Sporting Books 1734 to 1844, his 1929 inscription in pencil at end -- acquired directly from Gee in 1929).
Called on the wrapper the 'Battle Edition,' this appears to be the first and only edition of this scarce pamphlet, though it was probably indebted to others. It provides, in great detail, accounts of the various contests in the ring of the great fighters Tom Sayers and John C. Heenan, as well as their own historic meeting. Sayers was the Champion of England, and Heenan the so-called Benicia Boy (due to his brawls there while working for the Pacific Mail Steamship Company). The bout between these two fierce bare-knucklers is viewed as boxing’s first world championship. It ended in chaos when spectators broke into the ring, the police intervened, and the referee called a draw. We have been able to trace no other copy of this at auction or in the trade since 1913. Hartley 508.
8º (245 x 157mm). Text in double column. Two large folding wood engravings. (The second engraving with two tears along folds, 2/1 with marginal tear crossing text, Spitz ownership stamp crossing headline on last leaf.) Original printed wrappers; folding cloth case. Provenance: Ernest Gee (1878-c.1940, British-born American bookseller, founding member of the Old Book Table and author of Early American Sporting Books 1734 to 1844, his 1929 inscription in pencil at end -- acquired directly from Gee in 1929).
Called on the wrapper the 'Battle Edition,' this appears to be the first and only edition of this scarce pamphlet, though it was probably indebted to others. It provides, in great detail, accounts of the various contests in the ring of the great fighters Tom Sayers and John C. Heenan, as well as their own historic meeting. Sayers was the Champion of England, and Heenan the so-called Benicia Boy (due to his brawls there while working for the Pacific Mail Steamship Company). The bout between these two fierce bare-knucklers is viewed as boxing’s first world championship. It ended in chaos when spectators broke into the ring, the police intervened, and the referee called a draw. We have been able to trace no other copy of this at auction or in the trade since 1913. Hartley 508.
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