This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 7/8/2004.
The legend of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig is one that transcends the game of baseball and is a story that has taken on mythological proportions. For the great many of us who never had the chance to see them play, it is often hard to imagine that they truly existed. The pair formed baseball's most devastating one-two punch and became the very heart of New York and the Yankees organization. This image itself is a work of art and stands as one of the finest photographs ever taken of the legendary duo. It is 8" x 10" in size and displays a contrast and clarity that is rarely seen. On the verso is the "Thorne Photo, Official Photographers" stamp. The Ruth signature is nearly flawless with the pen running the slightest bit dry on the "R" in his last name, and Gehrig is a dead on 10. It has been kept in a superb state of preservation with minimal surface and edge wear and only one small crease to the lower left corner. The year "1930" has been written on the lower left corner in ink. It is consigned to this auction by the nephew of the original recipient, Allen Linsay Cooke. Better known as "Dusty," Cooke played with the Yankees from 1930-32. This photograph, along with a Ruth signed photo also offered in this auction, was bequeathed to his nephew upon his death in 1987. To accompany the photograph will be copies of various newspaper clippings and photographs related to Cooke's career as well as pictures of him with Babe. The autographs come with a letter from PSA/DNA.