GREAT GLOVE FIGHT (1900) Earliest Known Boxing-Themed Movie Poster Williamson UK

Description

Vintage original 24.25 x 30 in. (61.6 x 76.2 cm.) "country of origin" British poster
from the historic boxing film,
GREAT GLOVE FIGHT
, produced by Williamson Films Ltd. and released c.1900. Printed by Stafford & Co. Ltd. of the UK, this original poster is a stone lithograph, which features rich, vibrant colors and very fine detail. It has been professionally linen-backed and is in very fine- condition.
We believe this may be the earliest known boxing-themed movie poster to exist
. It corresponds to the short film, GREAT GLOVE FIGHT (1900), produced by James Williamson in the UK, one of the few early British pioneers who made motion pictures from 1897-1912 through his company, Williamson Films Ltd. This is the original “country of origin” poster that was printed in the UK for display in the UK when the film was originally released in 1900 and depicts the Williamson Films Ltd. logo in the lower right corner. It is not from a later re-release, nor is it a reproduction.
We used the following source as part of our research: “The Beginnings of the Cinema in England 1894-1901 - Volume 5 1900” by John Barnes; page 251; GREAT GLOVE FIGHT (N [for News Film]) 150 ft.; “Between Frank Lewis, champion of South of England, and Fred Gausden, champion of Sussex. Gausden beaten in three rounds. “Continuation, showing the two combatants receiving the attention of their seconds, and a bookmaker paying up his calls. 80 ft.” Ref: Williamson catalogue (September 1902), p. 9, no. 106.
This is an historical and most likely unique movie poster that would be the cornerstone of any boxing-themed collection, as it is from the dawn of motion picture exhibition.