A long-acknowledged adjunct of card collecting is matchbook collecting. As with postcards, the most common form of matchbook is associated with a boxer's restaurant or bar. The most famous were Jack Dempsey's in New York near Madison Square Garden, and Slapsie Maxie's in Hollywood. Dempsey was the actual owner and host at his joint and many different matchbooks exist. Slapsie Maxie's was nominally owned and hosted by Max Rosenbloom but it was quite likely that gangster Mickey Cohen actually controlled it. Both restaurants have a wide variety of matchbooks that routinely come up for sale, with varying degrees of difficulty associated with them. Many other fighters tried their hands in the trade, with varying results. Some, like Abe Attell and Benny Leonard, had little success, and their matchbooks are quite difficult to find. Others, like Lew Tendler, did quite well, and the common versions of their matchbooks are readily located. Sugar Ray Robinson owned a restaurant and nightclub in Harlem that did well over the years and there are several versions of his matchbooks.
Please enjoy this selection of images of boxing matchbooks. They are not for sale, merely for your edification and amusement. |
September 29, 201155 Images36654 visitsAlbum by Adam Warshaw |
