(SPORTS BOXING) DIGHTON ROBERT TOM MOLINEAUX

Sale 2342 - Lot 585

Price Realized: $ 938

?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price

Estimate: $ 500 - $ 750

(SPORTS--BOXING.) DIGHTON, ROBERT. TOM MOLINEAUX. Hand-colored copper engraving 8-1/2 x 12-1/2 inches; paper very lightly and evenly toned; matted. [London, circa 1812]

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A classic image of the noted boxer. Born a slave on a Virginia plantation, Tom Molineaux (1784–1818) fought fellow slaves while plantation owners wagered on the contests. After winning one of these matches against a rival, Molineaux was granted his freedom and the sum of $500. By 1809, he had traveled to New York and subsequently to England where he pursued a title in London's boxing rings. Two notorious fights with English champion Tom Cribb in 1810 and 1811 won him a place in boxing history. Molineaux is considered the second notable African American boxer, preceded by his Virginia-born trainer, Bill Richmond.