These Stanhope viewers show different photographic images of infamous early 20th Century black heavyweight champ Jack Johnson. Stanhope viewers, invented in France in the 1800s, have long been popular for their religious images. They have a microphotographic lens inside a thimble-sized cylinder, with images visible through a peephole when held up to light. Johnson fled to France in 1910 to avoid prison after being railroaded on trumped-up charges of violating the Mann Act. Being victimized by racism in America made Johnson a hero in France, though he eventually returned stateside to do his time. In the photos, Johnson wears a suit and hat under the inscription "Jack Johnson, World's Heavyweight Champ." The other shows a shirtless Johnson in a boxing stance. The black and gold viewers are 1 1/2" long, peephole 3/8". Condition is EX with some light tarnishing and pocks on the gold. Rare doesn't begin to describe these curios of the Johsnson saga. We bet you'll never see these anywhere else.