Jack Johnson vs. Tommy Burns Fight Ticket / Research / Now at Auction

[D. Bergin]

Jack Johnson vs. Tommy Burns Fight Ticket. December 26th, 1908.

I know there are lots of boxing card guys here, any ticket experts? Boxing is my specialty but this item has me a bit perplexed.

I just got this in from a consignor in Australia. I've never seen another example before. I've seen several programs from this fight surface in the last few years........never the ticket.

I'm trying to clarify if this is indeed the main ticket or the stub portion of the ticket. It looks like it's perforated on the left. The stub is normally located on the right but it's not exactly unheard of for it to be on the left.

It measures about 4 5/8" x 3 1'4" inches. Not as long as most main ticket sections but also much bigger then most "stubs". The Hugh McIntosh signature on the front appears to be rubber stamped.

I guess there's also the possibility that this was the full ticket and they were produced in a roll, and each ticket was torn from the other as it was purchased. It is thin stock and this very well could be possible. It was unreserved seating so maybe the whole ticket was given up at the door and seating was first come, first serve once you entered the building.

I've talked to Harry at Antiquities and he thinks it's the main ticket portion, though he's never seen this ticket before either.........and that's unbelievable coming from him, considering what has gone through his hands over the years.

Wondering if anybody else has any other info on this ticket or possibly has a scan of a possible full ticket to pass along. I've searched as many of the bigger auction house data bases that I could think of and came up empty.

As I've said, plenty of the programs lately but none of the tickets. I kind of wonder why. Were most confiscated at the door and then destroyed? Did people trash them because they are fairly unattractive looking (unlike the program) and not on thicker stock? You would think one or two of them would have been found stashed inside one of the programs that pop up every once in awhile.

For transparency sake.........yes I will be offering this at auction soon. Just trying to get as much info as possible before I do.

Thanks.

- Dave

[butcher354435]

It appears this is the portion of the ticket that was given up at the door, to the person collecting the tickets at the gate. So my 2 thoughts:

1) Doesn't appear to be a full ticket.
2) This is a very rare piece. I have never seen an example before and from what the ticket says, it was collected at the gate so therfore probably destroyed later that night or the next day after they counted the reciepts.

Notice the statement below the "Admit One" to the left. There are probably many stubs out there with no identifying information.

Just my thoughts.

Brent

[D. Bergin]

Thanks for the thoughts Brent. You may be right. Maybe the stub was just a number, that's why we don't even see those around either.

[D. Bergin]

This ticket is now up for auction on Ebay. Thanks..



Ending Sunday January 10th, 2010

Ends around 9:00PM Eastern time. Thanks.

Click here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/1908-JACK-JOHNSO...item35a606dd96


or Here:
http://tinyurl.com/BoxianaEbayAuctions

[D. Bergin]

Auction ending tonight. Thanks.


- Dave

[247boxing]

I have a ticket for the Burns Johnson fight.
The one in your forum is 3738 Unreserved.
This one is A184 Reserved and is perforated on both sides, measures 2 2/8" X I 5/8".
The stock appears to be the same with similar discolouring.
There is part of a stamp visible on the right hand portion of this ticket, as in the ticket you have shown, but putting the tickets side by side, they have a different size/scale.
The back of the ticket has no markings or stamp.
The ticket was taped down in a frame, hence the markings on the top and bottom of the ticket.
So, maybe different stamps for different sections?
I will be putting this on eBay soon, and am interested in your, or anybody else opinion or thoughts on this ticket.

[D. Bergin]

Looks like the Reserved seating tickets were smaller in size. This looks like a stub. Perforated on both sides so it was probably from a dual stub ticket.

I had heard of one or two of these floating around out there.

- Dave

[StrandCoins]

Dear Sir,

For you general information you can find the answers to your questions re Burns/Johnson fight ticket @ www.strandcoins.com

Regards
Strand Coins