Iconic 1937 Lou Gehrig Original International News Photograph, PSA/DNA Type 1
Columnist Jim Murray called Lou Gehrig "Gibraltar in cleats" and sportswriter John Kieran said of him, "His greatest record doesn't show in the book. It was the absolute reliability of Henry Louis Gehrig. He could be counted upon. He was there every day at the ballpark bending his back and ready to break his neck to win for his side. He was there day after day and year after year. He never sulked or whined or went into a pot or a huff". Gehrig was the same in baseball as he was when he faced a fatal disease that struck him in the prime of his life. Ruth may have been rightfully dubbed "The Sultan of Swat" or the "The Colossus of Clout" among other things, but Gehrig's acclaim as "The Pride of The Yankees" has never been disputed.
The presented image of Gehrig is among his most iconic. Captured in 1937, it shows him at his apex, long beyond the shadow of Ruth, on the verge of winning his fifth World Series title, and second consecutive as the Yankee’s unrivaled leader. His expression as he peers over the five bats he holds artfully arrayed before him conveys a sense of serenity, the look of a man who has overcome great challenges, been to the mountain top, yet never got lost in his own glory. And a man unknowing of his greatest challenge yet to come.
The photograph measures approximately 6-1/2 by 8-1/2 inches. It retains superb clarity and contrast and minimal handling wear that is ineffectual to its visual impact. An International News stamp appears on the back with a remnant of a once affixed newspaper clipping bearing a date stamp “SEP 30 1937.” According to our research, this is one of only two examples of this image designated by PSA/DNA as Type I. Though likely destined as a centerpiece in an elite baseball photography collection, this soul-stirring image resonates beyond the realm of our hobby.
Includes a LOA from PSA/DNA (Type I)
