Lot 251. Pirates Vintage Collection – Autographs, Traynor Photo, 1960 Memorabilia, Etc. One highlight of this collection is an 11” x 13” photo, circa 1940, of Pie Traynor with William Benswanger matted and framed to 18 ½” x 21”. Benswanger was president of the Pirates 1932-46. Upon close examination, the photo shows some surface cracks and creases and a couple of very small scuffs. The decorative, quality vintage wood frame would benefit from being re-stained. Striking display item. Three uncommon autographs are also featured: Lefty Leifield, who signed “A P Leifield” on an unlined index card, was Pittsburgh’s winningest pitcher 1906-11. He died in 1907. His signature is a mint 9. Aubrey Epps appeared in exactly one major league game, for the Pirates in 1935, and he made the most of it. He collected three hits, including a triple, and he drove home three runs. He signed a handwritten letter that mentions Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. His signature is a 10. Epps died in 1984. “Buckshot” May also had a one-game major league career. He pitched one inning in 1924, allowing two hits and striking out one. May died in 1984. Publications: 1961 yearbook, owner’s name on front; otherwise, vg-ex. 1971 NLCS scorebook, Clemente cover, scored, vg-ex. 1971 Three Rivers Stadium Souvenir Book marking the opening of the new stadium, vg-ex. Photos: Vintage glossy 8” x 10” photo, possibly from 1961 spring training, with Willie Stargell, Al McBean, Vernon Law, etc. Vg+ to ex. Framed 11” x 14” pictures of Mazeroski’s home run that won the 1960 World Series, Clemente’s 3,000th hit and the 1961 Pirates team. Vg-ex to ex+. Also, an 11” x 17” picture of the World Champion 1971 Pirates, vg. Rain Checks: Two different, undated, probably 1940s-50s, vg. Stamps: U.S. Post Office “Legends” kit including stamps of Clemente, Ruth, Gehrig and Jackie Robinson. Cards and a stamp album also are included. Ex-m. Cards: 1991 Kellogg’s Sportflics card of Ralph Kiner, nm. 1994 ProMint 22 karat gold foil card of Barry Bonds, nm-m. Also, a 3” color pin of Stargell and two Pirates 2004 magnet schedules. Twenty items. Autographs authenticated by Kevin Keating.
Winning Bid $83.
Lot 252. Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig Fishing? These baseball icons seem to have a special knack for fishing as well as hitting a baseball. This Diamond Images 22 ¾” x 19 ¼” framed and matted b & w limited edition photo captures Ruth and Gehrig showing off their catches. The print is #28 of 975 and will be a fine addition to your Yankees photo gallery.
Winning Bid $92.
Lot 253. B&W Photo of Babe Ruth Giving Lou Gehrig a Big Hug. “They didn’t get along. Gehrig thought Ruth was a big-mouth and Ruth thought Gehrig was cheap. They were both right,” said teammate and fellow HoF member Tony Lazzeri. That may have been true, but the Sultan of Swat and the Iron Horse looked like friends the day Gehrig retired from baseball. The 19 ¼” x 23 ¼” framed, double-matted photo shows the Yankee duo reunited on “Lou Gehrig Day,” July 4, 1939.
Winning Bid $55.
Lot 262. Original 20 ½” x 26” Painting Based on Mickey Mantle’s 1953 Topps Card. The anonymous painting decently captures Mantle’s image. Creases in the lower corners and several very light stains toward the bottom add to its charm. The 24” x 28 ½” frame has a ½” section of damage.
Winning Bid $50.
Lot 310. Jackie Robinson Original 4 ½” x 7” Pittsburgh Courier Newspaper Photo from 1955. Outstanding focus, contrast and composition characterize this photo dated Feb. 12, 1955 on the back. Other back notations indicate the photo was to appear on page 3 of the April 2 edition of the paper, which served Pittsburgh’s African-American community. A notation indicates that the photo was to illustrate an article on “Why Negro Baseball.” Technically vg to vg-ex, the photo displays as ex with a great image of Robinson. Many photos have been printed recently using negatives from the Courier’s archives. This is an original.
Winning Bid $102.
Lot 311. 3 Rare Sepia Cabinet Photos of a Richmond at Hartford 1898 Atlantic League Game. The first Atlantic League, successor to the Pennsylvania League, lasted only five seasons, 1896-1900. Another minor league with the same name was established in 1914. These sepia photos capture action, baseball and otherwise, at a game at the Hartford Base Ball Park, apparently in May 1998. Each sepia photo is about 3 ½” x 4 ½” on a mount that is 4 ¼” x 5 ¼” or larger. One photo shows fans leaving the park. A second shows part of the grandstand, and a man appears to be delivering a speech. The owner of the photo wrote in the mount “Billy Allyn orating at ball game.” The third photo shows game action. Each mount has two holes neatly punched in it, and one of the punches affects the edge of each photo. The photo with the orator has a scuff. Otherwise, the photos are well focused with decent contrast and ex-m. Each is stamped “F. S. Snow, M.D.,” on the back.
Winning Bid $102.
Lot 312. Impressive Imperial Cabinet Photo of the 1899 New Castle, PA, Baseball Team. And when we write “imperial,” we mean “imperial”! The photo is 10” x 13 ½” on a 14” x 17” mount. The photo by the E. E. Seavy Studio of New Castle is fantastic. It shows 12 players and the manager, in a suit and holding a child. The focus and contrast couldn’t be better. There are five creases along the right edge. The mount is vg with a ½” tear along the left edge. Neatly in pencil, someone has added “New Castle Base Ball Club of PA.” at the top, and the surnames of the players below. This is one impressive vintage baseball photo!
Winning Bid $185.
Lot 313. 6 Late 19th or Early 20th Century Photos of Local Baseball Teams and Players. The “class” of this collection is a beautiful sepia composite photo of the 1915 Grantley Park Athletic Club by a York, PA, photographer. Grantley is near York. The 6 ½” x 9 ½” composite on an 11” x 14” mount has crystal-clear studio photos of nine players in uniform plus two men in suits. Unimprovable photo on an ex mount that has a couple of tiny surface chips. One of the more interesting photos is of a “C & O” team that has an African-American child as its mascot. Taken outdoors, the 8” x 10” photo is vg+ to ex with superb focus and contrast. Two other photos show teams outdoors. The Hills Grove (Hillsgrove, PA?) team is the subject of a 4 ¾” x 6 ½” photo on a 7” x 9 mount. The players wear quilted pants. Ex to ex-m photo; the mount has two chipped corners. The Whitcomb team is in a 5” x 7” ex-m sepia photo on an 8” x 10” vg mount. In a 4 ½” x 7” photo on an 8” x 10” mount, a catcher and batter are posed in a studio. Sharp ex-m photo, stains on the mount. Nine players of what appears to be a Winchester team are posed with vintage bats, a catcher’s mask and gloves in an 8” x 10” ex-m to nm photo. For some reason, some letters on the players’ jerseys appear to have been obliterated on the negative. Excellent collection of quality vintage photos.
Winning Bid $148.
Lot 314. Vintage Baseball, Cricket Images – 1907 Waterloo with Major Leaguers, Sisler, Etc. Among this collection of eight images is an 1804 cricket photo. 1. A printed 11” x 14” pictures captures the 1907 Waterloo Cubs, 1907 champions of the Iowa League. The picture shows three future major leaguer players – George Clark, Harry Gasper and Lee Magee. The print may have been made in the last 20 years. It has a vertical fold on the right and corners stains. The image are has an ex appearance. 2. Circa 1920s wire photo, 7” x 8 ½”, of George Sisler. Vg photo with two in-uniform images of the Hall of Fame first baseman shows some silvering. 3. 1804 engraving by J. Storer of boys playing cricket at the Charter House, London. The engraving is about 5 ¼” x 7 ¾” printed on 9” x 11 ½” paper and dated Aug. 1, 1804. Chips along the edges; the engraving itself is nm. 4. 1931 International News Photos 6” x 8” photo of Big Bill Lange with his son, Bill. Baseball scene with both in street clothes. Retouched for newspaper publication, one pin hole, caption attached, vg. 5-6. Two different Chicago Daily News 8” x 10” photos of Les Filkens, the Detroit Tigers’ first pick in the 1975 baseball draft, vg-ex. 7. 1962 UPI wire photo of Tom Fletcher, University of Illinois pitcher signed for a bonus by the Tigers, ex. 8. 1979 UPI wire photo of Brad Gulden of the Yankees and Hal McRae of the Royals, vg.
Winning Bid $30.
Lot 315. 12 Pre-1920 Baseball Illustrations by Leyendecker, Robinson, Kernan and Fisher. Ten are on the covers of magazines, including Collier’s and The Saturday Evening Post. Most are 10” x 14” or larger unless otherwise noted. NOTE: Our descriptions and grades describe the overall page. In almost all cases, the artwork itself displays as ex or better. J. C. Leyendecker was one of the premier artists in the Golden Age of Illustration. In 1896, he defeated Maxfield Parrish in magazine cover competition conducted by Century Magazine. Subsequently, he became the Post’s top cover artist prior to the arrive of Norman Rockwell. His illustrations are on the cover of the May 15, 1909 Post, which shows a catcher in vintage gear (full vg+ issue, ½ tear a the top of the cover, minor edge tears), and the May 25, 1907 Collier’s, cover only, which shows a New York player catching the ball as an opponent slides into base (1” tear at top, border chip, small stain in lower border). Robert Robinson was a Leyendecker contemporary whose artwork appeared on 25 Post covers 1910-25. He is best known among baseball collectors for the 1912 PC766 set of four baseball cards. Artwork for two cards grace covers of complete Post issues for Oct. 1, 1910, and April 13, 1912. The first shows a catcher, mask removed, looking skyward; mailing label over “Post,” soling along the left edge and bottom that barely affects the image, vg+. The second shows a batter ready to bunt, mailing label touching his the top of his cap, 3” tear outside the image area and two smaller edge tears, age stains along the edges. The issue contains an article by Connie Mack. Postcard sets typically sell for $300 or more. The artwork on the Post covers is much more dramatic! Anton Fischer painted primarily marine scenes. His artwork of a player sliding into a base as a fielder awaits the ball is on the cover of the April 16, 1910 Post, full issue, mailing label, vg-ex. J. F. Kernan specialized in scenes of middle-class life. His artwork, titled “Showing ‘Em,” is on the cover of the Sunday Magazine of the Buffalo Courier, April 28, 1912. This scene shows a batter who has just connected with a pitch. Three other players look on. Very colorful, cover only, minor edge tears, ex. One illustration is by a woman artist – M. (Mary) L. Lane McMillan. She was among the first women to break into a field dominated by men. Her artwork is on the cover (only) of the June 18, 1918 Every Week. The scene captures boys using a bat to decide who picks first in choosing sides as three boys look on. Small corner chips, vg+ to ex. One illustration, on the Aug. 22, 1903 Tip Top Weekly, accompanies the Burt. L. Standish story “Frank Merriwell’s Quick Move.” Complete vg-ex with a couple of chips at the bottom that has a photo of the New York Giants inside the back cover. Mathewson, MGinnity, Bresnahan, McGraw and Taylor are in the photo. Other illustrations are are the covers (only) of the Sunday Magazine of the New-York Tribune, July 28, 1907, batter and catcher, tiny edge chip, otherwise ex, and Collier’s, Oct. 4, 1919, angry Cincinnati Reds batter yelling at an umpire, mailing label, edge tear, vg+ to ex. Two illustrations, which show boys playing ball, are black & white on 7” x 9” inside pages from unidentified publications. Premium collection of illustrations worthy of a premium bid.
Winning Bid $218.
Lot 327. Ron Stark 20” x 24” Color Print of Babe Ruth on Canvas. Stark has been described as the next Norman Rockwell. He is one of the premiere sports artists of our time. His rendering of Babe Ruth is simply incredible. If there is a better one out there, we have not seen it. Clad in Yankee pinstripes and cap, the Babe stands, holding his bat against a dark-brown background. The appearance is that of an original oil painting and not a print. His image is so lifelike that it seems to jump out of the canvas. The detail is exceptional and meticulous. The canvas print is housed in a 23 ½” x 27 ½” frame. Stark has signed the print near the lower right corner.
Winning Bid $520.
Lot 328. Arthur K. Miller Framed Color Illustration of Ty Cobb. Cobb is colorfully shown in a bunting stance with his eye on the ball, which approaches his bat. The matted and framed piece measures 20 ¼” x 24 ¼”. Anyone interested in baseball knows something about Cobb. Miller, an award-winning artist, is less widely known. His work has appeared in many publications, most notably yearbooks for the Baseball Hall of Fame and SABR publications. The Cobb print is one of a series of lithographs. Interestingly, one night in late 1999, Miller had a dream that in 2019, he would be the first artist inducted into the wing of the Hall of Fame for writers and broadcasters. With artwork such as this, his is a dream that may just come true!
Winning Bid $75.
