Boxing Towel used in the Joe Louis - Max Schmeling Fight
date: label: date made
content: 1938
label: date of the fight
content: 1938-06-22
name: label: referenced
content: Schmeling, Max
label: referenced
content: Louis, Joe
notes: label: Description
content: Heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis (1914–1981) lost his first bout with Nazi Germany's champion Max Schmeling in 1936, but the return match was a triumph for America. This towel was thrown in by Schmeling's handlers at Yankee Stadium, New York City, June 22, 1938, where Louis pummeled his opponent in the first round. Enforcing a boxing rule that seconds cannot stop a fight, referee Arthur Donovan then threw it out. The towel was thrown in again during the first round, giving Louis the victory in two minutes and four seconds. The story of the fight was later embroidered on the towel.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: location of the fight
content: United States: New York, New York City
topic: label: web subject
content: Sports
label: name of sport
content: Boxing
label: level of sport
content: Professional
setName: label: See more items in
content: Culture and the Arts: Sport and Leisure
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Mrs. Julian A. Black
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1980.0683.05
label: accession number
content: 1980.0683
label: catalog number
content: 1980.0683.05
objectType: label: Object Name
content: towel, boxing
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: fabric, cotton (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 22 in x 9 in; 55.88 cm x 22.86 cm