Photo question: Gehrig/Ruth July 4, 1939

[Forever Young]

Originally Posted by prewarsports

Just to quickly chime in, when we sold the Cobb Conlon photo we did pretty extensive research over several years and talked to just about everyone we knew of in the hobby. We also spoke with Henry Yee who confirmed to me that there was absolutely no other confirmed Type 1 examples of that photo known to exist that he or anyone else was aware of had ever seen as well. There are rumors that others exist, but none have ever been confirmed. If there is another one out there, it is very well hidden or likely not a real type 1. That is not say there isn't the possibility, there is just no other confirmed examples.

As for the Ruth/Gehrig photo being talked about here, it is a rare image and I have only ever seen a handful of type 1 examples of various angles in our experience. There are a bunch of type 2 and type 3-4 examples that were done in the 1940's through the 1980's as the event became more and more famous so be careful when looking to pick one up as these look old but are not type 1 examples.

Rhys

This kind of got off topic with the Cobb photo example.
I believe we talked about that particular photo numerous times before auction and clearly I felt very highly of it too. The proof is in the run I made for it as you know
You/Rmy did a superb job in marketing and selling it. So good, I was unable to attain it seemingly at any cost. It is true that it is the only "confirmed" type 1. My comment had nothing to do with your listing. You did it up right.
However, I would never buy a photo thinking it was the only one.
I buy a photo knowing it is very very rare regardless if 1 or 5.

Regarding the babe and gehrig hugging: I have seen several of each sell over the years. That is not very many. Most have come out to the public in the last 5 years. If you like/want it, I would not be afraid to pay retail.

Attached is an example in my collection. I have owned it for just over 7 years. Before that, I wondered if I would ever add it as I never saw it for sale. Since, I have seen just 2 examples for public sale of this exact shot.

I will also add that, like a growing number of people today, I was on eBay for hours a day way back then looking for photos. I also was on top of all the major auctions. So I feel my number is pretty accurate coupled with trying to buy privately from others " in the know".
Type 1 examples are very rare. As rare as the Cobb? No.. but still very very rare.

[Snapolit1]

What a shot. Gehrig certainly was one seriously stoic sob. Looks like a guy with the world on a string.

[prewarsports]

I hear ya Ben, no issues whatsoever with what you said and I am sure there probably is another one out there somewhere.

Most of these famous photos had many (hundreds for sure) printed and distributed, its all just a matter of how many have survived. Just like baseball cards, these photographs had absolutely no value beyond the functional image itself and as such, they were given no respect by newsrooms, magazines, or institutions until the last 20-30 years.

When we got a newspaper archive in a few years ago (the one with all the Conlon images), I was blown away to hear that the newspaper threw away their entire archive of sports photos... IN 1996! You would think that SOMEONE by that time would have taken a look and thought to themselves, "hey there is some pretty old photos of some pretty famous people in here, maybe we should save these" but it was one lone sports editor who dumpster dived and saved all those things (but 50% of the archive still got put in a landfill, the stuff he did not want). You would have expected this in the 1940's, but 1996? Crazy. If this was happening in 1996, it is no wonder 99% or more of all the valuable older images ever taken and distributed to newspapers are now lost to history.

Photos as a whole are not rare, there are hundreds of millions of press photos in all the newspaper archives in the country, but quality images of specific events are many times rarer than the famed T206 Wagner! This is why the best images will continue to rise in value and remain tremendous investments compared to other collectibles out there.

Rhys