Lot 363. 3 Collectibles Featuring Female Athletes – Basketball, Water Polo and Softball. A 1914 real-photo postcard shows seven members of a high school championship basketball team. The photo is sharp with strong contrast, and the postcard is vg-ex with two tiny bottom edge chips. The 11 members of the 1913 Penarth, Wales, Lady’s Water Polo Club are shown in a black and white postcard, vg. Accompanying these collectibles is the Sept. 7, 1940 issue of “Liberty” magazine. It has an illustration of a distracted softball player on its cover, vg+ to ex. Cincinnati artist Herman E. Bischoff created the cover. He was an artist for the “Saturday Evening Post,” “Colliers,” “Cosmopolitan,” the “New Yorker” and “Esquire.”
Winning Bid $15
Lot 364. Tommie Smith Outstanding Autograph on the May 22, 1967 “Newsweek” Cover. Smith’s signature is large, bold and gem mint 10 on his cover image. Inside, a Frank Deford article occupying the equivalent of almost three full pages details Smith’s style, tremendous strengths and challenges as a runner. Almost a year and five months later, Smith became an Olympic champion by winning the 200-meter dash in a record time of 29.83 seconds at the Summer Olympics in Mexico City. Teammate John Carlos captured the Bronze Medal. After the event, to protest racism and other mistreatment of African Americans in the U.S., the two men each raised a black-gloved fist, the Black Power salute, as the U.S. National Anthem played during their medal presentation ceremony. The magazine is complete and ex with a mailing label. Smith added “Mexico City 1968” below his signature, which has been PSA/DNA Pre-Certified.
Winning Bid $40
Lot 365. Autographed “Silent Gesture,” the Autobiography of Olympic Champion Tommie Smith. At the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, Smith won the Gold Medal in the 200-meter dash in record time. Teammate John Carlos finished third to earn the Bronze Medal. During their medal-presentation ceremony, as the U.S. National Anthem was being played, each man raised a black-gloved fist, the Black Power salute, to protest injustice and racism against African Americans. Smith’s book describes what led to his controversial gesture, the backlash against him and his life beyond the Olympics. The 2007 hardback first edition, written with “Baltimore Sun” sports columnist David Steele, is nm-m in an ex-m+ dust jacket. Smith’s autograph on the title pages is large and bold, mint 9 to gem mint 10, and PSA/DNA Pre-Certified. His human rights statement is widely recognized beyond the world of sports.
Winning Bid $68
Lot 366. 2 Tickets for 1928 U.S. Olympic Tryouts and a Postcards from the 1960 Olympice. The tickets are for the Southern California tryouts at the L.A. Coliseum on June 16. Olympic competition was conducted later in Amsterdam. The two tickets are slightly different. One is a regular ticket, and the other is for student admission. Each is adhered to a paper backing. The fronts grade vg+ to ex. The black & white postcard, approximately 4” x 6”, shows the U.S. Olympic team during opening ceremonies in Rome. The back has facsimile autographs of Olympians, including Jerry West, Oscar Robertson and Parry O’Brien. The card was postmarked in 1960 and has a mailing label on the back. Vg, nice image.
Winning Bid $25
Lot 367. Harold Copping Vintage 5.25" x 7" Cricket or Baseball Engraving. A British artist, Copping (1863-1932) is widely recognized for his illustrations of Biblical scenes. His non-religious art was also widely published, in books and periodicals. Copping’s facsimile signature is part of this engraving. It’s likely that the five boys shown are playing a “sandlot” version of cricket, although nothing represents the wicket, which typically is present in Copping’s cricket illustrations. In the early 1900s, Copping visited Canada, but there doesn’t seem to be evidence that he was familiar with American baseball. The engraving is on heavy newsprint from an unidentified, undated magazine or book. The reverse side has children’s poems, including “Little Tom Tucker’ and “A Diller, a Dollar.” The print itself is nm. The paper around it shows edge chips, tears and creases. An interesting display item.
Winning Bid $20
