Sale 2486, Part I - The Harold Holzer Collection of Lincolniana, September 27, 2018

111 c   (PRINTS—CARTOONS.) Prize Fight BetweenAbram and Jeff, in Four Rounds. Stake: The Constitution of our Country. Woodcut engraving, 7 3 / 4 x 7 1 / 4 inches, printed on both sides on thin yellow paper; cropped into the shape of a cross with folds as intended, 2 light paper clip stains, minor wear. Np, circa 1861 [1,500/2,500] This toy / print depicts Lincoln and Davis as pugilists, with flaps that fold to overlay on the static legs on verso. In the first round, Lincoln announces “Now Jeff, I toss my cap over Mason & Dixon’s line. Square yourself: I’m after you.” In the second round, “Jeff whimpers with fear, and wants to be let alone.” In the third round, “Jeff gives Abram a stunner at Bull’s Run,” but the fight is quickly ended in the fourth round: “Abram catches Jeff in chancery and pummels Secession out of him.” This strongly suggests a date in late 1861, reflecting an overconfidence which was still not completely shaken by the defeat at Bull Run. Holzer, Lincoln Seen and Heard, page 90. 2 copies in OCLC and none traced at auction since Leavitt’s Elliot Woodward sale in 1869. Provenance: Abraham Lincoln Book Shop.