Lot # 1462: Jack Dempsey & Gene Tunney Collection (10) with (7) Dempsey or Tunney Autographs

Fight to the finish for this Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney collection. These renowned boxing champions met twice for the heavyweight championship, with Tunney dethroning "The Manassa Mauler" in their first fight, at Sesquicentennial Stadium in Philadelphia on 9/23/26. In their second meeting on 9/2/27 at Soldier Field in Chicago, Tunney successfully defended his title against Dempsey and then retired after one more successful defense against Tom Heeney in 1928. Widely considered two of the greatest fighters of their day, both Dempsey and Tunney have been inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame and the International Boxing Hall of Fame. This handsome selection of signed items (7) and unsigned items (3) serves as a fine representation of their immortality.

Featured are:

Dual-signed 8-1/2" x 11" notebook page with Dempsey personalized and Tunney, both highly potent signatures on a crisp sheet of lined paper;

Tunney signed and personalized 7-1/2" x 9-1/2" matte finish portrait, with "Aug, 39" date inscription, the signature is moderately faded, PSA/DNA LOA;

Tunney boldly signed 8" x 10" boxing pose photograph with some creasing at the bottom-left corner, otherwise crisp and attractive;

Jack Dempsey signed and personalized 8" x "10" photograph with short creases at top-center and bottom-right, otherwise crisp and attractive;

Tunney typed letter signed dated 12/22/31 on Gene Tunney letterhead, the signature is fairly firm, the text is bold, and the crisp page has multiple folds;

Tunney typed letter signed dated 1/27/33 on Gene Tunney letterhead, both the signature and text are very bold and the page is fairly crisp with two horizontal folds;

Vintage autograph album with string binding hosts (30+) generally distinct signatures, with notables: Maurice LaChappelle (d.1970), "Ace" Freeman (X2), Nate Bass, Rudy Dusek (d.1971), Eddie Newman (d.1990), Abe Coleman, Eddie Cook, Celia Bevins (X2), Antone Leone, Ray Clements, Pat Fraley (d.1978), Emil Dusek (d.1986), Mae Young (WWE HOF, d.2014), Nanjo Singh, Carol Starr aka Mae Weston, Mike Haller, 1928 NFL champion Gus Sonnenberg (d.1944), Jack Dempsey (d.1983), Michele Leone, Jim Londos (d.1975), Johnny Long, and George Macricostas.

Tunney versus Heeney 1928 championship fight 10' x 7" publication clipping with boxing pose photographs of the belligerents is fairly crisp and clean, with an irregular edge and a small tear at right;

8" x 10" photograph picturing the conclusion of the 8/23/26 Dempsey-Tunney heavyweight championship bout is stamped with The Ring credit on the back, crisp and attractive with nice gloss and moderate corner wear;

6" x 8" candid photograph of Tunney is street clothes is stamped with International Newsreel credit on the back, shows moderate age-appropriate wear.

Auction LOA from James Spence/JSA.