We received a surprising amount of emails yesterday asking for some more information of our boxer. We have dated the painting to the early 1900's. The painting is of Jeffries in his prime. It is signed and the signature was extremely difficult to read but we think we finally figured it out. It turns out the artist lived down in the San Diego area at the same time as Jeffries lived there. Jeffries was 6 feet tall and the painting is 6'8" so it is a really impressive scale.
We had no idea when we got the painting that he was a famous boxer, we just knew we liked him. The ironic part is that an ephemera dealer happened to walk in our store for the first time the day we brought the painting in and immediately identified him. Because in his previous life he worked in the boxing world. What are the odds?
While searching the internet for a picture of Jim Jeffries as a champion I came across your blog. I hope you don't mind my using your picture for a blog post. Its better than any other I've seen. The painting looks incredible and the story you give about not knowing who he was adds to the mystique of the painting. I Hope you enjoy it and I'm sure it'll be a conversation piece for years.
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