Beautiful classic poster (19"x24") advertising that a "Grand Sparring Exhibition [January 12, 1861 in Philadelphia] will be given by BOB PORTER and HARRY BLAKE". Archivally mounted to rice paper, poster has random staining and paper loss. Exceedingly RARE to find a fight poster from that EARLY in boxing annals. Many charmingly quaint details: In a great challenge that a spectator could not take on with Muhammad Ali or Mike Tyson in more modern times, the poster reads, "Any person in the audience who desires can put on the gloves, and Set-to with either of the Exhibitors." The country was on the verge of the Civil War, as South Carolina had already seceded from the Union, but the promoters wanted to insure that no such unrest occurred at his fight, so the poster warns, "The strictest order will be observed."