RMY Auctions quietly brings to us the memory lanes of the 20th century with their forthcoming May event, replete with vintage photographs that vividly encapsulate the iconic moments imprinted in the annals of sports and entertainment history.
Among the standout items is a black and white photograph from the year 1948, featuring baseball legends Satchel Paige and Bob Feller. This 7 x 8 ¾” image holds particular significance as it was the one that brightened the creation of Paige’s most valuable rookie card by Leaf in 1949. This followed the monumental shift of Paige from the Negro Leagues to Major League Baseball with Cleveland.
But wait, the auction does not let Paige fade away so quickly. It also carries a rare Type I original photograph of Paige, wearing his Kansas City Monarchs jersey. With a catalog featuring more than 900 items, the auction takes us on a whirlwind journey, spanning a century’s worth of sports, news, and entertainment photography. What is even more exciting is that many of these visual treats have never made it to the public scrutiny before.
Adding a layer of historical depth to the collection is a 1910 silver gelatin image of then 23-year-old Jim Thorpe, photographer being George Grantham Bain. Other items that manage to capture the spotlight include a novel 1905 PC782 Rotograph real photo postcard of Jack Chesbro, an early 20th-century baseball star, and a 1934 photograph of Carl Hubbell. This photograph, quaint in its own right, was used for Hubbell’s 1933-1936 Diamond Stars baseball card.
Our journey would be incomplete without stopping at photographs featuring Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. The auction is privileged to encase moments like Ruth’s virgin season with the Yankees in 1920 and a remarkable frame from the 1928 World Series.
For the enthusiasts of the contemporary, a 1972 photo of Roberto Clemente marking his 3000th career hit, and a historic capture of Wilt Chamberlain immediately succeeding his record-setting 100th point in a single game can be riveting. There are also vibrant shots from Michael Jordan’s prime NBA years, gifted by the Chicago area photographers.
Adding a sprinkle of whimsy and diversity to the auction are some offbeat items such as a photograph of Joe DiMaggio lounging in the Yankees clubhouse and Ted Williams having the time of his life riding a zebra. With such a rich and diverse collection, RMY auctions manage to sketch a panoramic view of the 20th century, beckoning collectors and enthusiasts of historical memorabilia and photography. The bidding has already begun and spectators have until May 11 to place their bets on these precious fragments of time.
Get ready to soak in the retrospection offered by RMY auctions’ extensive collection of photographs, each a distinct vignette of significant moments from the 20th century. You might just find the perfect piece of pictorial history to adorn your collection before the curtain falls on May 11.
