Auction Item Details
Lot 600
LOADING IMAGES
Lot Number: 600
Description: Rare St. Mary's Industrial School baseball team printed photographic piece. Highly desirable rendering of the St. Mary's Industrial School baseball team c.1910-1912, features a young player by the name of George Herman Ruth. Ruth had developed into a superb baseball player under the guidance of Brother Mathias at the reform school where he was placed at the age of seven. The image measures 6"x9" and has been laid down on a thick stock photo board. Ruth is pictured in the center of the top row wearing catcher's equipment and holding a spider style mask and mitt. The offered image is the first example of this particular view that we have encountered, and varies distinctly from another well documented image picturing the 1912 Champion "Red Sox" team of St. Mary's. The back of the photo board is inscribed in period pencil notations to include, "Babe Ruth catcher on 'Red Sox' 1910 Champions...Ruth top center, Tom Padgett left end bottom row". Stamped by the "File Dept. at the New York World" along with a printing date of "8/10/20". Based on the image quality, printing date, and image format, it is our belief that the offered piece was likely printed in the late teens or in fact 1920 itself. Obviously, with a print date of 8/10/20 it can be no later than 1920, but could certainly have been printed earlier and then re-printed at a later date, as is often seen on news file photographs. Contrast quality remains quite nice given the dating and original image quality with a small corner chip at the top right. Significant Babe Ruth display piece dating to his very earliest baseball playing days: VG-EXEstimated Price Range: ($2,000-$3,000)