Type 1 Photo of Walter Johnson and FDR

[arc2q]

A colleague at work knows I am interested in vintage baseball stuff so he asked me for advice. While I collect vintage cards I know nothing about photos/postcards.

His grandfather was a newspaper photographer in the 1910s and '20s. He recently found a large collection of original photographs his grandfather had taken in his grandfather's attic. He then donated most of the photos, which ranged from sports to politics to military, to the Smithsonian. He is considering what to do with this photo, though.

Senators.jpg

It is from opening day 1918 and shows the Senators conducting drill practice using bats as rifles. I am guessing it was a sort of preparedness demonstration to encourage Americans to enlist. Walter Johnson is the closest player to the camera. The team is being led by Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was then Assistant Secretary of the Navy. Of obvious uniqueness is that FDR is still ambulatory at this point.

I know the photo was printed in newspapers and can be found on the web; but this is the original. This print includes the photographers notes attached to the back (i.e., the caption that most newspapers would have used).

I have no personal role in this other than inquiring, is this valuable enough that he should consider selling/auctioning? In that sense, I am literally "asking for a friend."