SCHMELING, MAX RARE PROMOTIONAL POSTER (AS CHAMPION-1931)

Maximillian Adolph Otto Siegfried Schmeling (September 28, 1905 – February 2, 2005) was a German boxer who was heavyweight champion of the world between 1930 and 1932. His two fights with Joe Louis in the late 1930s transcended boxing, and became worldwide social events because of their national associations. He was ranked 55 on Ring Magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time. While Schmeling cooperated with the German government's efforts to play down the increasingly negative international world view of its domestic policies during the 1930s he was not a member of the Nazi party. In fact, it became known long after the Second World War that Schmeling had risked his own life to save the lives of two Jewish children in 1938. During World War II Schmeling served with the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) as an elite paratrooper. Offered here is a very rare promotional poster of Max Schmeling as champion which lays out his tour of the United States in 1931.
This is an original, paper, promotional poster which has Schmeling's U.S. schedule for 1931 and 12 different photos of the champion. It has been professionally linen backed. The poster has one small area missing in the upper left corner and a number of small pieces missing along the right border. Original fold lines are faintly evident and there are small missing pieces at the original folds. The images are sharp. The color is bold as is the print. One pencil notation. Extremely rare poster of Max Schmeling as heavyweight champion. 22" x 28."