JOHN L SULLIVAN

Woven on silk:-

Printed at bottom of card-mount:-
WOVEN IN PURE SILK BY T. STEVENS, COVENTRY. 
 
John L Sullivan 
 

card-mount:
18.5 cm deep by 14 cm wide

silk:
10.8 cm high by 6.4 cm wide

by Sprake:
The American pugilist. Red, white and blue belt. The socks are found in white or red. 

by Godden:
The Stevengraph silk of this famous American boxer shows him standing turned half to the right with both ungloved fists raised. Examples normally have a story-label and the following short extracts from this give an outline history of his career:

John L. Sullivan was born of Irish parents in 'The Highlands', Boston, Mass., U.S.A., 15 October 1858, and is therefore 29 years of age. He is 5 feet 10 1/2 inches high, and is at his best fighting weight when he does not exceed 14 stone. In condition, his physical measurements are: chest, 44 inches; biceps, 16 1/2 inches; calf, 15 1/2 inches; thigh, 27 inches. He began to spar in 1879 . . . but did not attract general attention until the spring of 1880 . . . . Sullivan went on a tour, and at each exhibition offered £10 to any man who faced him for four rounds . . . . Sullivan knocked out every acceptor in less than two rounds.

There follows a lengthy list of his fights and victories, and the account ends:

The Champion possesses the agility of a light-weight, while as a clever fighter and a punishing hitter his equal has never been known or heard of. No man has ever been known to deal him an effective blow, and during his career he has never as much as received a discoloured eye. As a pugilist Sullivan is a marvel, and during his short career he has raised out of the profession over £30,000.

The title J.L. SULLIVAN was first listed on label 23+34a of 1888, although the subject was included in a Stevens advertisement published in December 1887. Examples of this rare silk are normally found on type D1 card-mounts. 

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