Sidney W. Ackland; [Stanley Nelson]; [John Murray]
London: Fleetwood Press, 1938-1940.

A run of issues of the weekly English journal, Boxing, shortly before it was renamed Boxing News in 1940 (the name by which the journal is still published under today). First published and edited by John Murray in 1909, this lot come under the fourth ownership and the fourth branding (back to the original title Boxing, after briefly going by Boxing and Racing, then Boxing, Racing and Football during the late 1920s/early 1930s), just prior to and during the early days of World War II, and under the editorial direction of Sidney Ackland, then Stanley Nelson, and briefly with John Murray returning to the helm. Discusses bouts in England and abroad, with regular published sections on the sport in America, Australia, and elsewhere, as well as fights held within the armed services. Published every Wednesday and available for threepence. Despite wide circulation and countless issues, with their tabloid format, wartime quality paper, and the office being destroyed in an air raid in 1941, these earlier issues are rare, and as of December, 2021, only held at The British Library, with 3 other institutions having partial holdings, all in either the US or UK. Lot of 45 issues, each issue ranges in length from 16 to 24 pages. Full list of issues: 1. January 19, 1938; 2. January 26, 1938; 3. February 2, 1938; 4. February 9, 1938; 5. February 16, 1938; 6. February 23, 1938; 7. March 2, 1938; 8. March 9, 1938; 9. March 16, 1938; 10. March 23, 1938; 11. March 30, 1938; 12. April 6, 1938; 13. April 13, 1938; 14. April 20, 1938; 15. October 12, 1938; 16. November 9, 1938; 17. November 16, 1938; 18. December 21, 1938; 19. December 28, 1938; 20. February 15, 1939; 21. February 22, 1939; 22 & 23. May 3, 1939 (2 copies); 24. May 10, 1939; 25. May 15, 1939; 26. September 6, 1939; 27. September 13, 1939; 28. November 8, 1939; 29. November 15, 1939; 30. November 22, 1939; 31. November 29, 1939; 32. December 6, 1939; 33. December 13, 1939; 34. December 20, 1939; 35. December 27, 1939; 36. January 3, 1940; 37. January 10, 1940; 38. January 17, 1940; 39. January 24, 1940; 40. January 31, 1940; 41. February 7, 1940; 42. February 14, 1940; 43. February 21, 1940; 44. February 28, 1940; 45. March 20, 1940.

[John Murray]
London: Athletic Publications, 1915-1916.

A small lot of early issues from the first incarnation of the weekly English journal, Boxing, which from the 1940s to today is known as Boxing News. This lot published during World War I under the original editorship of John Murray, each issue is illustrated throughout with photographs, mostly of boxers in stance, and discusses bouts in England and abroad, with regular published sections on the sport in America, Australia, and elsewhere, as well as fights held within the armed services. Published every Wednesday and available for one penny, it claimed to be “The only paper in the world solely devoted to boxing” and to have “The Largest Circulation of any Sporting Journal in the World.” with general offices in London and Paris, and distribution in Australia and New Zealand by Gordon & Gotch, India by A. H. Wheller & Co., South Africa by Central News Agency, Canada by the Imperial News Co., and in the United States by The International News Co.. Despite all this, with their tabloid format, wartime quality paper, and the office being destroyed in an air raid in 1941, these earlier issues are rare, even among fans of Boxing News, and as of December, 2021, only held at The British Library, with 3 other institutions having very partial holdings, all in either the US or UK. Lot of 10 issues, each issue ranges in length from 12 to 24 pages. Full list of issues: 1. No. 290 (March 24, 1915); 2. No. 291 (March 31, 1915); 3. No. 350 (May 17, 1916); 4. No. 351 (May 24, 1916); 5. No. 352 (May 31, 1916); 6. No. 354 (June 14, 1916); 7. No. 375 (Nov. 8, 1916); 8. No 376 (Nov 15, 1916); 9. No 377 (Nov 22, 1916); 10. No 378 (Nov. 29, 1916), together with the front cover only of No. 367, September 13, 1916.