packymcfarland

Willie Ritchie has other LOC photos in this series. He fought Tommy McFarland in September 1911 according to this site: cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/ritchie.htm

This is really strange because my grandmother, Grace McFarland, divorced and married again becoming Grace Ritchie.

This appears to be Packey (sometimes spelled Packy) McFarland. He did not fight Ritchie. Here is another Bain Collection photo of him from the same session:

I believe you are correct artolog, it does look like Packy McFarland. I will ask for our records to be updated.

Packy McFarland was born in 1888. He achieved great recognition as a prize fighter. Over his career he earned over $200,000 in prize money. In 1991 the Guinness Book of Records noted he had 97 fights (5 draws) without defeat from 1905-1915. He went on to serve on the Illinois Boxing Commission. He would die at his home in 1936 of step throat. At his funeral, over 3,000 people attended with then Governor of Illinois Henry Horner leading the funeral procession.

Patrick "Packey" McFarland (November 1, 1888, in Chicago, IL — September 22, 1936) a popular American boxer who was a title contender in the lightweight and welterweight divisions. The Ring Record Book and Boxing Encyclopedia suggests he was the greatest fighter never to win a world title. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Packey_McFarland

Another Bain Collection photo from the same session:

Packy was managed by Harry Gilmore Jr., whom Bain photographed with another of his fighters, Spike Kelly. Harry's father, Prof. Harry Gilmore, is also in a Bain photo. Packy's fame was such that a prominent physician in my hometown of Ames, Iowa, Dr. Julian McFarland, was nicknamed Packy.