November 14, 2019: Sports & Americana Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/14/2019
Presented here is a fascinating artifact linked to the legendary bareknuckle boxing champion John L. Sullivan. The 7-inch bottle has an embossed decoration showing the champion standing to the left side of the bottle, the center to right side has a panel (the boxing ring) for label and the four corner posts of the ring are the four corners of the bottle; the handle-bar mustachioed Sullivan is bare chested with fists clenched in a boxing pose, lettering above him reads "The Best Bet For Every Round" and "John L." in script. The front base lettering shows this is a "Half Pint" size; the bottle is in Excellent condition, revealing only a bit of cloudiness near the top edge and minimal tarnishing on the black metal cap. Sullivan’s blustery personality and fabled strength gained him a huge following as one of the most famous athletes in the country at the turn of the century. As champion he earned more than $1 million but squandered it. A hard drinker during his ring career, he later became an advocate of Prohibition and delivered many lectures on the subject, making this bottle – thought to be dated to the 1920’s – something of an ironic piece of memorabilia.
John L. Sullivan Whiskey Bottle
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