NewYorkFirst.com: Jack Dempsey Memorabilia

And in This Corner.

William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey was an American boxer who held the world heavyweight title between 1919 and 1926. Known as "The Manassa Mauler," Dempsey emerged from fights on saloon floors near mining camps to become the world's heavyweight champion and one of the major sports figures of the 1920s. He had all the right stuff: crashing power, cleverness, and defensive ability. And no boxer has matched Jack in his intriguing personality, his ability to draw the crowd, and bring out its support. In 1935, after retiring from the ring, he opened Jack Dempsey's Restaurant on Broadway. For nearly forty years, until a landlord wouldn't renew his lease in 1974, he was one of the most popular -- and gentlemanly -- restaurant owners in New York.

An Appreciation.
Historic curios from Jack Dempsey's Restaurant create a conversation piece, encased in a shawdowbox keepsake frame. Relic of a New York institution in a bygone era. The story is told that after the restaurant was forced to shut down in 1974, no one ever discovered the identity of the landlord who evicted the boxer-turned-restaurateur in favor of a fast-food place. However, persuasive rumors persist that the building was owned by Great Britain's royal family. (Measures 7 x 10 x 2-inches overall)

Ashtray as Battle Standard.
On the site the old car barn across from Madison Square Garden, Jack Dempsey's was truly an American institution. Most nights would find the Champ on hand to greets guests, sign autographs, pose for pictures and hold court with the famous from all walks of life. An authentic artifact, swiped from a table of the legendary restaurant.

An Intimate Narrative.
Nat Fleischer, editor and publisher of "The Ring" Boxing Magazine wrote "Jack Dempsey: The Idol of Fistiana," which was published in 1929. Although the book has been out of print for nearly 80 years, many boxers-- professional and amateur alike-- have continued to praise it as the finest treatise on the legendary champion ever written. The book was also seen as the first serious study of the sweet science of boxing. Rare, previously-owned First Edition.

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