World title boxer, Jack Johnson, 1908 / drawn by Norman Lindsay

SV/199

fonds

1908

Graphic Materials, Drawings

937439

1 drawing - black pen & ink, on paper - 32 x 25.5 cm

The fight between heavyweight boxing champion of the world, Canadian Tommy Burns, and African American boxer Jack Johnson, was billed at the time as "The Fight of the Century".

On Boxing Day, 26 December 1908, the fight was held in the new temporary stadium (not the later Sydney landmark) built at Rushcutters Bay, attracting between 20 and 200 thousand spectators according to various sources. Burns had been induced to fight by promoter Hugh McIntosh, who paid him a fee of £30,000. McIntosh also refereed. He had hoped to attract the sailors of the visiting US Navy, the "Great White Fleet", but they stayed away.

Burns was defeated on points after fourteen rounds when the police stopped the bout. Johnson, the victor and now the first non-white world champion, received £1,500.

Norman Lindsay had drawn a watercolour of the Burns-Johnson fight which was used to illustrate a promotional cover for the popular magazine The Lone Hand. The original cover drawing, inscribed by Lindsay to his friend the fight promoter Hugh McIntosh, is held by the Mitchell Library.

The significance of the fight was felt around the world. Black boxers had, until this fight, been barred from the elite heavyweight championship of the world.

Reference:
Library correspondence file

On the right, three Aborigines watch as an open car, left, passes. Jack Johnson sits next to the driver and two men sit in the back, probably Tommy Burns and Hugh McIntosh, with moustache and cigar. Three of the men look sideways at the Aborigines but McIntosh's eyes look away.

Copyright status:: In copyright - Life of artist plus 70 years
Copyright holder:: H, C, & A. Glad
Approval for reproduction required:
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales and Courtesy H, C, and A Glad

Bulletin number (?) 16334 -- in blue pencil, lower right hand corner

Signed, lower centre: "Norman Lindsay"