Alonzo Victor Lewis began his career as a sculptor and painter in 1920. In 1923, Lewis created a furor in the art world when his oil painting of Jack Dempsey was hung amid landscapes at the Kansas City Art Institute. This photo shows Lewis with a sculpture of the famous boxer, who was the Heavyweight Champion of the World from 1919 to 1926.

This photo is part of a collection from McBride and Anderson photographers. Born in 1863, Ella McBride began working in the photography field in 1909 when she managed the Edward Curtis Studio. She opened her own studio in 1917 with Wayne Albee. Albee moved to San Diego in 1925, and McBride continued to operate a studio in various Seattle locations. In 1932 she partnered with Richard Anderson; they continued to work together until she retired in 1954 due to her failing eyesight. She died in 1965 at the age of 102. Taken before the McBride-Anderson partnership began; it is not known which partner was the photographer.

Handwritten on sleeve: Alonzo Victor Lewis Seattle Sculptor (& Jack Dempsey).