Chicago Union Giants Negro Postcard

[Runscott]

Just for grins, here are the only two photos I know of, from November 25, 1920, when Jack Johnson boxed two matches in Leavenworth prison. I believe the first photo shows him fighting 'Topeka Jack' Johnson, with his other opponent (Frank Owens) standing to the right. The photo to the right shows him with Owens as well. But I could have Topeka Jack and Owen switched Johnson fought Owens first, and beat him up badly, so it doesn't make sense that he would be standing around for the other fight. According to the papers, Owens weighed 227 pounds, and Topeka Jack Johnson weighed 210.

(This occurred Thanksgiving Day, 1920, whereas the postcard images were taken 13 years earlier).

Topeka Jack Johnson, whose name, wrote Mark Ribowsky in "A Complete History of the Negro Leagues, 1884 to 1955," "wasn't Jack Johnson at all until he stole it from the mountainous black prizefighter who won the heavyweight title on the day after Christmas in 1908."

Topeka Jack was a prizefighter, too, albeit one of limited success in the ring. The two Johnsons also knew each other, as Topeka Jack was described by the Leavenworth Times in a Nov. 25, 1920, story as a former sparring partner of the champ.

[mannybb24]

This is the headshot from SeamHeads:

[mannybb24]

I don't have anything else to add right now other than I do know who the proud new owner of this postcard is and I have just sent him an email to see what his thoughts are.
And no, he is not a member of this board so that is why we have not heard from the winner as of yet but I'll let you know if he knows any new details about the piece as soon I can.

Steve

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by mannybb24

This is the headshot from SeamHeads:

That looks like the same guy from the recent ebay postcard. But again - I would want to know 'why' they decided it was Johnson. I'm sure there's some good logic, but I haven't seen it. Simply searching for the word 'Topeka' at Seamheads.com yielded nothing. How did you locate this photo?

[mannybb24]

Scott, here's a link to Seamheads that will hopefully help:

http://www.seamheads.com/NegroLgs/player.php?ID=1328

Steve

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by mannybb24

Scott, here's a link to Seamheads that will hopefully help:

http://www.seamheads.com/NegroLgs/player.php?ID=1328

Steve

Thanks Steve. I checked the page and it looks like they are basing their i.d. on a single box-score (line-up list?) from 1907, along with probably a single photo of the team from 1907. Personally, I've never seen anything tying him to the 1907 Chicago Union Giants.

[Runscott]

Gary's i.d. of Topeka Jack Johnson in the 1905 Chicago Union Giants photo is correct. Here's the same photo from a 1910 issue of 'The Indianapolis Freeman'. I don't think the Seemheads photo or the one in the 1907 Union Giants looks like the same person.

[Runscott]

(Just using this thread to hold documentation)

Here's a 2-month old Wiki page on Topeka Jack Johnson:

Topeka Jack Johnson Wiki page

I'm guessing this is advertising by the 1907 Union Giants postcard owner or his proxy, given that it does not mention the 1905 Union Giants, for which evidence exists that he did play for, but it lists the same players for the 1907 team that we were able to i.d. from the postcard. Johnson, on the other hand, does not appear to be on either of the 1907 postcards, but a 'Jack Johnson' was a star hitter for their team, as evidenced by the game description referenced on the website.

The website also states "research also list at least three players who played under the name Jack Johnson between the years of 1907 and 1939". There is nothing on the website (or anywhere else) to validate that Johnson ever played for the 1907 Union Giants - My guess is that 'Topeka Jack' was playing for the Topeka Giants in 1907 - we know that's where he was for the 1908 season and that in 1909 he was in Kansas City.

I'll have a definite answer within a few days

Here's something from the Wiki page that I did not know: Johnson was managing his own team in 1917, called "Jack Johnson's Topeka Giants" who played the All Nations base ball club.[3]

Edited to clarify 1907 reference above