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Lot of three items relating to boxing great Joe Louis - cardboard sign for the second Louis-Schmeling fight, the Joe Louis volume from The Big Little Book series (author Gene Kessler), and a typed letter dated August 12 1937 signed by Joe McCrea, purporting to be the manager of Joe Louis - the letter most likely a spoof; the poster, by American cartoonist Otto Soglow shows a ko'd boxer draped over the ropes asking 'Did he say 8?' to which his manager replies 'No, he said 10!', the upper portion of the poster states 'This is the place to hear the radio returns of the Louis-Schmeling fight', the lower 'Whoever is your favorite.you'll find Martin's VVO Blended Scotch Whiskey is a favorite at this bar!', indicating the sign was used as a bar-room display; the fight in question is the famous second fight between Joe Louis and Max Schmeling which took place at Yankee Stadium June 22 1938, the result being a first round KO to Louis; the Joe McCrea letter is addressed to a Mr. G. Wood of Putney Vermont, and reads "Dear Sir: It has been recently brought to my attention that you are conducting an infamous campaign against my friend and fighter, Mr. Joe Louis. Rumors as these spread very rapidly and are damaging to the interests of my fighter. Therefore, I ask you to kindly halt these proceedings, and if the law won't stop you, I assure you Joe Louis will. Thank You. Yours truly, Joe McCrea Manager of Joe Louis". The letter is contemporary carbon-ribbon typescript, 1 page foolscap 4to on endorsment bond, signed by McCrea and dated August 12 1937 (less than two months after Louis became Heavyweight Champion); in original stamped/dated envelope (rubbed and tanned); it is unclear what the 'infamous campaign' refers to, and I'm so far unable to discover same in any research undertaken, and neither can I find any reference to Joe McCrae as manager of Joe Louis at this time - thus I believe the letter to be a contemporary spoof; The Big Little Book (11 x 9 x 4 cm) is titled "Joe Louis The Brown Bomber by Gene Kessler illustrated with photographs from Wide World Photos Inc" and is dated 1936, being a potted history of the rise of Louis to boxing greatness; poster 56 x 35cm on thin card, rubbed and tanned, and with some creases and stains, knock to lower rh corner, with attendant creases; letter a little aged, and with some mild creases, generally good; Big Little Book with gift-inscription to reverse of front cover, mild spine-lean, pages heavily tanned, o.w. Good. . . . Good. Seller Inventory # 21648
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