John L Sullivan Autographed Studio Photograph

John L Sullivan: large studio photograph signed upper right 'Compliments of John L Sullivan, to my friend Bob Hosking, July 7th 1908', framed & glazed, overall 45 x 55 cm. One of the finest Sullivan autographed relics known. [John L. Sullivan was the last great bare-knuckle champion and the first national sports hero of America. No one had ever seen the likes of the 'Boston strong Boy', who toured the nation, taking on all comers, with an offer of $1,000 if they could last four rounds: no one could. With his epic seventy-six-round victory over Jake Kilrain in 1889, his legend grew dramatically. Sullivan was such a prominent figure was Sullivan, that when he was defeated in 1892 by gentleman Jim Corbett, women and men across the nation wept]