Object number1994.24

Louis Walcott Fight, Madison Square Garden

Date1947

Artist Gjon Mili (American b.Albania, 1904-1984)

CultureAmerican

MediumGelatin silver print

DimensionsSheet: 13 1/2 x 10 3/8 in. (34.29 x 26.35 cm)

Credit LinePurchase, Lydia Evans Tunnard, class of 1936, Fund

Period20th c

Classification(s)

Photograph

InscribedInscribed (at bottom edge): PF 12909-L; (verso, URC): 3 opposite C-5-5

BibliographyModern Metropolis, (Poughkeepsie: FLLAC, 2002)

Vassar Exhibitions

American Fighters: A Century of Boxing in Art

Modern Metropolis

Exhibition HistoryPoughkeepsie, NY, FLLAC, Vassar College, "Modern Metropolis," APril 5 - June 16, 2002. (see below)

Label TextIn 1947, Gjon Mili brought his camera to the stands of a consequential boxing match: heavyweight champion Joe Louis’ first victory over Jersey Joe Walcott in Madison Square Garden. In this image from the fight’s first round, Walcott had just knocked down Louis, the presumed favorite. Photographers crowded the ropes to capture blow-by-blow details. Unlike these ringside onlookers, Mili took his picture from a distance to register the spectacle that surrounded the boxers during their fight. Underneath the ring’s harsh lights, a swelling sea of mostly white faces encircled the match. LIFE magazine published this image soon after the fight, labeling it “one of the most remarkable prizefight pictures ever made.”

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email loebcollections@vassar.edu