Mid 19th Century Boxer Engravings

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/17/2016

Three engravings of boxers by Moore & Williamson, each hand-tinted 9-1/2”x13-3/4” (sight), presented in die-cut mats, wrapped in cellofane, all in fine condition. Featuring “John Camel Heenan (1834-1873) was an American bare-knuckle prize fighter. Though highly regarded, he had only three formal fights in his entire career, losing two and drawing one. Heenan is best remembered for his second contest, when he travelled to England to fight British champion Tom Sayers. The bout, generally seen as boxing’s first world championship, ended in chaos when spectators broke into the ring and the police intervened. The referee finally called a draw. The Benicia Boy came home to a hero’s welcome, but later returned to England where he had just one more fight, losing controversially to new British champion, Tom King....plus; Joe Goss (1838-1885) Although he rarely scaled more than 160 pounds, the clever and aggressive Goss routinely fought men both bigger and heavier than himself. At the age of twenty, Goss began his career with a 90-minute victory over George Hares. Goss would not lose a contest until Hall of Famer Jem Mace defeated him in 19 rounds (1 hour and 55 minutes) in London on 1 September 1863. Goss would unsuccessfully challenge his nemesis Mace on two other occasions, including an 1866 championship contest. In 1876 Goss would claim the world's heavyweight title after defeating Tom Allen on a foul in 21 rounds. Goss met Paddy Ryan on 30 May 1880 in Coillier's Station, West Virginia. Goss was unable to continue and the contest was stopped after ninety minutes in the 87th round of the championship bout. Goss engaged in a series of exhibition bouts with John L. Sullivan before retiring in 1882 and was in Sullivan's corner when Sullivan won the title from Paddy Ryan...plus; Joe Coburn (1835-1890) was an Irish-American boxer. In 1862 he claimed the Heavyweight Championship from John Carmel Heenan based on Heenan refusing to fight him. Mike McCoole claimed Coburn's title in 1866 after Coburn retired. Coburn came out of retirement in 1871 against Jem Mace. The first fight between the two was broken up by police before a blow was struck. In the second fight, Mace injured his hand in the fifth round and the fighters agreed to call it a draw. Prize fights were often intervened by police as boxing was illegal until 1901, so Coburn was no stranger to the law, and he served six and a half years of a 10-year sentence in Auburn Prison for the attempted murder of a policeman in 1877. In 2013, Coburn was elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

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