Earle Combs photo

[Kawika]

Reprints of this image of Earle Combs are continuously available on eBay. I think it is a grand picture. Do any of you Serious Photo Guys know anything about the image such as who shot it, when etc? Better yet, anyone have a Type 1 they could post? TIA

[GKreindler]

Hey David,

Here's the whole thing:



Definitely a think of beauty. The shot's from September 9, 1928 according to Corbis, though there isn't any news on the photographer. I've never seen a Type 1 of this ever, but it would be lovely to see more like 'em - lord knows I'd want to paint them!

Hope this helps...

Graig

[thekingofclout]

I knew I've seen this image before Graig. I'm almost certain that it was also in the terrific book by Harvey Frommer entitled "Remembering Yankee Stadium" in which several photos from my collection (shameless plug) were featured.

[Kawika]

Thanks, guys. Very arty the way the ump, the catcher and Combs are all tilting their heads at the same angle, one neutral, one thinking "oh shit" and the third thinking "Hot Damn!".

I unfortunately don't have access to the New York Times Archives anymore so I wasn't able to look up the sports article but I saw at Retrosheet that the Yanks swept a doubleheader from the A's that day, a Sunday. Combs hit two singles in 4 AB's in the first game and was one-for-three in the second, a lead-off triple in the NY half of the first. I am thinking this photo is the triple. It's got the intensity. (The man off third is positioned like a coach, not like a baserunner following the crack of a bat).

I corrected the spelling of Comb's name in my first post. Had Earl Coombs. It's Earle Combs.

[perezfan]

Magnificent image...

And the second game of a double-header certainly makes sense. The lighting/shadowing is phenomenal, as if the sun is sitting lower than normal in the sky. I bet it's definitely the triple (for that reason, as well as what Kawika surmised above..).