1910 Dana Studio James Jeffries – Jack Johnson Flip Book
‘It’s In The Details’
| Title | 1910 Dana Studios |
| Year | 1910 |
| Size | 1 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ |
| Images | Black and White |
| Type | Miscellaneous |
| Number in Set |
1 |
1910 Dana Studio James Jeffries – Jack Johnson Flip Book Overview
The James Jeffries and Jack Johnson fight in 1910 was billed as the “Fight of the Century.” It featured Johnson, a black champion, vs. white challenger James Jeffries. While race in sports is generally downplayed these days, at the time, the race of the two fighters was the largest issue of the fight for fans, many of whom wanted to see Jeffries come out victorious.
Johnson dominated his older opponent and ultimately won in the 15th round. To give you an idea of how popular Jeffries was, despite losing the fight, he was still given top billing in the book as his image was printed on the front without even a mention of the winner, Johnson. The producer likely determined that a book with Johnson on the cover instead of Jeffries wouldn’t sell nearly as well.
As you can imagine, many cards and collectibles were created to celebrate the fight. While most of those items were printed beforehand, this flip book documents the fight and was printed after its conclusion.
The book was created by a photography studio, Dana Studio, utilizing images from the fight. When flipped appropriately, collectors would see numerous images quickly.
Backs of the book indicate they were available from a manufacturer, the Miniature Photo Company, based out of Chicago. They offered the book, shipped anywhere, for 12 cents. Interestingly, the books had a cover price of only ten cents on them. Obviously, there would have been shipping costs incurred by the Miniature Photo Company. But anyone selling them clearly would have had to get a bulk discount to make any money if selling them only for 12 cents.
The books are very rare these days and while many boxing cards and collectibles can sell at low prices, these books can sell for a few hundred dollars.
1910 Dana Studio James Jeffries – Jack Johnson Flip Book Checklist
This book is a standalone item and not part of a set.
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