Earl Purdy

Joe Louis Knocked Down by Max Schmeling, 1938, etching, 3 5/8 in x 5 7/8 in.

Max Schmeling, who was the Heavyweight boxing champion of Europe was a 10-1 underdog when he faced Joe Louis on the night of June 22, 1938 at Yankee Stadium. The odds were also 4-1 that Schmeling would not be on his feet by the seventh round, and 2-1 that Louis would win by a knockout. To the surprise of the world Schmeling knocked Louis out in the twelfth round. Louis had also been down in the 4th round, which this amazing etching visually describes. Two years later Louis avenged the defeat, knocking out Schmeling early in the first round at the same venue. Schmeling remained friendly with Louis for the rest of his life, giving him money, and even paying for his funeral.
Purdy was a PWA muralist and cartographer.