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Baseball Photography
7 Lots
 Lot 14. 1870 International Baseball Photo with a Prominent NY Politician + 15 CDVs! Early international baseball meets New York Tammany Hall politics in this sepia cabinet photo, graded Authentic by SGC. It is one of the earliest baseball cabinets, and quite possibly the earliest of a U.S. team taken overseas. The 4” x 5 ½” photo on a 4” x 6” mount pictures 19 members of the Lincoln Baseball Club, apparently of New York. Several players hold bats, and two U.S. flags are in the background. Nm photo on an ex mount One player is Clarence Lexow, a New York State Senator 1894-98. In 1894, Lexow headed the legislative committee that revealed corruption among Tammany Hall political leaders . He also boosted Teddy Roosevelt’s political career by getting him appointed head of the Police Commission responsible for cleaning up the New York City Police Department. The baseball photo, which came from Lexow’s estate, was taken in Bonn, Germany, in June 1870 by W. Hess. Most players are identified on the back of the cabinet mount. They apparently played baseball either while attending or visiting the Kortegarn Institute in Bonn. Dr. Arthur Kortegarn, one of Germany’s leading educators, was headmaster of the school. Accompanying the team photo are 15 CDVs, most of players in the photo, including six of Lexow. SGC has slabbed all 15 as Authentic. The others are Lexow’s younger brother Allen (2), Harrie Owen (2), John Mason Knox Jr., C. Gordon Knox, Henry Hutton, Alfred Soote (?) and an individual whose last name is Gordon. These CDVs feature strong photos that are generally free of any significant problems. There are four other CDVs, also SGC-Authentic: Crown Prince Frederick William of Prussia (Wilhelm I), who reportedly watched the U.S. team play, apparently Dr. Kortegarn, an unidentified man, and a woman identified on the back as the “Daughter of the Lincoln Base Ball Club.” She is an older woman who apparently accompanied the boys. Ten of the CDVs were produced in Germany, five in Brooklyn, and four are blank-backed. This is a remarkable collection of 20 high-quality 19th century photos. Impressive, historically exciting collection!
Winning Bid $300.
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 Lot 223. Original Bain 1916 Photo of the Baseball National Commission – Ban Johnson, Etc. Educated as a lawyer, George Grantham Bain preferred photography, and in 1898, he established the first news photography service. From 1900 through the mid-1920, the Bain New Service was an important source of photos to local newspapers across the country. This 4” x 6” original, which came from the files of Culver Pictures, shows the Baseball National Commission: A.L. President Ban Johnson, Commissioner August Hermann and N.L. President John Tener. Boston Red Sox owner Joseph J. Lannin also is pictured. The National Commission ruled baseball from 1903 until 1920. The Type 1 photo is vg with a clipped corner outside the image area, a chip in the lower right corner, a crease in the lower left and a couple of inoffensive scratches. Rare!
Winning Bid $100.
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 Lot 224. Original Bain News Service 1913 Photo of Hall of Fame Umpire Bill Klem. In 1898, New York photographer George Grantham Bain created the first photography service to provide news and sports photos to newspapers. In a photo dated Oct. 6, 1913, Bain or one of his photographers captures Klem, who is generally regarded as the Babe Ruth of umpires. Soon after his major league umpiring career began in 1905, he was regarded as the game’s best arbiter. He retired in 1940 and subsequently became chief of the N.L. umpires. In 1953, he and Tom Connolly became the first two umpires enshrined at Cooperstown. The 3” x 4 ¼” Type 1 photo (1 ¼” x 3 ¾” image) is ex.
Winning Bid $100.
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 Lot 225. Babe Ruth Images in 1920s-40s Publications. Two Ruth photos are part of two full New York Times Mid-Week Pictorial pages, from July 8, 1920 and March 24, 1921. The first shows him slugging his 21st home run on his way to a record-setting 54-home run season. The second shows him in a batting pose and as part of the Yankees team. Both pages have some edge chips and a tear away from the images. In a page from a 1921 issue of the National Police Gazette, Ruth is pictured in a series of individual photos that include Sisler, Speaker, Rich, Alexander, Hornsby and Carey, minor edge tear and chips, ex-m appearance. In four pages from a 1933 issue of The American Magazine, Ruth demonstrates how to play baseball. Eight photos of Ruth, staple holes from the magazine at the left, otherwise ex-m. Finally, a 1947 Sunday News full oversized page focuses on Ruth with a full-length color image and a list of his accomplishments. Displays very nicely with some edge tears and a horizontal fold across the middle. Excellent display images of Ruth!
Winning Bid $50.
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 Lot 226. Babe Ruth and Mrs. Ruth Type 1 Associated Press 1930 Photo. In this 6” x 8” photo, Ruth and his wife Claire enjoy the good life, attending the Sammy Mandell-Manuel Quintero bout in Miami Beach. The lightweight champion, Mandell won a 10-round decision. Coming off a 46 home run, 154 RBI, .345 season, Ruth spent much of the off season relaxing in Florida, according to the caption on the back of the photo, which exhibits sharp focus, displays as vg and shows a significant number of light cracks close-up. Excellent photo of the Babe at play.
Winning Bid $70.
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 Lot 227. Humorous Type 1 1935 Wire Photo of Babe Ruth, French Batter and Gendarme. Wonderful Associated Press original 7” x 98” photo of Ruth in Paris using a policeman’s baton as a bat and wearing a traditional and familiar kepi. The photo displays as vg with sharp focus and strong contrast, surface cracks evident close-up, several creases toward the margins and waviness resulting from the caption being glued to the back. Ruth concluded his baseball career in 1935.
Winning Bid $100.
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 Lot 228. 22 Photos of MLB Executives, 1910s-40s, from the Files of Baseball Magazine. These photos, almost all Type 1 and black & white, constitute a “Who’s Who” of early 20th century baseball. Most have a 1996 Baseball Magazine “Original” hologram on the back. Most have captions. 1. Van Oeyen photo of Ernest Barnard, A.L. president 1927-31, g. 2-3. Ford Frick, both 6 ½” x 8 ½” with captions glued on the back, 1937 International News with his wife, nm, and 1948 Acme with CIO president Philip Murray, vg-ex. 4-6, John Heydler, N.L. president in 1918-34, 6 ½” x 8 ½”, P&A, International Film and Acme photos, two edited, pin holes in corners, average vg. 7-9. Connie Mack, 1930s from Acme (2) and International News, 6 ½” x 8 ½”, two edited and g-vg, one vg-ex. 10. John Tener, major league pitcher 1885-80, PA Governor 1911-15 and N.L. president 1913-18, sepia 7” x 10”, ex as edited. 11. 1915 sepia 7” x 8” vg-ex photo of James Gaffney and Robert Davis, who sold the Boston Braves to Percy Haughton, College Football Hall of Fame player, and banker Arthur Davis. 12. Circa 1916 sepia 6 ½” x 8 ½” American Press Assn. vg+ to ex photo of Charlie Weeghman, Chicago Cubs owner, and Wild Bill Donovan, Yankees manager. 13. 1924 P&H 7” x 11” vg-ex photo with pin holes in the corners of Fritsch of St. Louis, Navin of Detroit, A.L. president Ban Johnson (1901-27), Ruppert of New York and Quinn of Boston. 14. Undated 8” x 10” ex photo of Fred Fitzsimmons and Bob Carpenter. 15. 1945 International News 6 ½” x 8 ½” ex photo of executives meeting to discuss a successor to Judge Landis: HoFer Eddie Collins of the Red Sox, A.L. president Harridge, N.L. president Frick, Zeller of the Tigers, Grabinger of the White Sox and two attorneys. 16. Undated 8” x 10” ex photo of Frick, Warren Giles, Stoneham (Giants) and Breadon (Cards). 17. 1936 World Wide Photos 7” x 9” ex photo of Frick, Pacific Coast League president W. C. Tuttle and others. 18. 1943 7” x 9” ex photo of Frick and William Cox, part of a syndicate buying the Phils. 19. 1942 Acme 6” x 8” vg-ex photo of Giles as Reds GM, Bill Benswanger, Pirates owner and another executive. 20. Undated 8” x 10” ex-m photo of Giles, Wrigley, Carpenter and Parine. 21-23. Three miscellaneous photos including one picturing Heydler and Barnard and one that shows an office.
Minimum Bid $100.
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