Papa's Gloves - oil on linen - 12"x9"
Private Collection.
These gloves were worn by my grandfather Dick Hearns when boxing for Ireland v USA at Soldier Field, Chicago, in 1933.
Dick fought Max Marek in the light heavyweight division. Marek had defeated the legendary Joe Louis in the final of the US Amateur Championships that year. Louis became one of the greatest Heavyweight Champions of the world.
The following is an extract from the report of the match in The Chicago Tribune -
"The 40,000 patrons put up a terrible squawk when the decision was given to Max Marek, veteran Chicago lightheavyweight, over Dick Hearns of Ireland. This happened to be the bout which clinched the championship for the US and though Phil Collins the referee, decided for Hearns and properly so, the judges gave it to Marek.
Though the decision went to Marek, giving the US a certain victory, the crowd did not take kindly to the decision. Hearns traded punch for punch with Marek all the way and the margin, if there was one in this bout, might have been given to the Irish lad. Certainly the crowd seemed to think so, for it seemed as if 40,000 varieties of booing, stamping of feet and plain and ordinary squawking resounded through Soldier Field for a long time making the introduction of the heavyweights who fought in the closing bout an impossibility".
Dick Hearns was my Grandad.
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