PBA Galleries

Two postcards with German writing on the back. Front states: "Gans-Nelson -July 4th 1908. R. J. Waters & Co. Photo."

Postcards showing the match between the lightweight boxers Danish Nelson and African-American Gans. Nelson challenged Gans for the title as lightweight champion on July 4, 1908. He knocked Gans out in the seventeenth round, winning the match. They fought again two months later, with Nelson winning by a twenty-one round knockout. One of the cards shows Gans in knockout with the referee counting. 

• Postcard one. San Francisco California. July 29 - 1908. (...) The postcard shows the good attack between these two. One is a "negger" and the other a Dane from Denmark.
• Postcard two. The negro's name is Gans and Dane is Nelson. This picture shows the 17th attack which was the last, and  had the "negger" loose. He was no longer able to stand up for a time. The Dane earned $30.000 and the "negger" $10.000. (...) Many wishes.

Joe Gans was the first African-American World Boxing Champion, reigning continuously as World Lightweight Champion from 1902 to 1908, he was rated as the greatest lightweight boxer of all time by boxing historian and Ring Magazine founder, Nat Fleischer. The photos are by R .J. Waters a famous San Francisco photographer that had the large photography studio there.