(LOT 624)

The year is 1921 and Babe Ruth never looked better as he dons his classic Yankee pinstripe uniform and seldom seen white pinstripe cap at the Polo Grounds, his temporary home, in this classic 5" x 7" George Grantham Bain News Service photo. Indeed, Yankee Stadium (The house that Ruth built) was not yet constructed and the "Sultan of Swat" would share his home field with John McGraw's New York Giants. This image would be taken after Ruth just signed his 1921 contract, and even Ruth wouldn't realize he was about to embark on one of his or anyone's finest slugging seasons ever; walloping 59 round-trippers, knocking in 168 runs and posting an amazing .378 batting average. Ironically, Ruth would lead the Yankees to the 1921 World Series against McGraw's Giants, eventually falling to their cross-town rivals in the fall classic. 

More significant, however, is this incredible heirloom that portrays the "Bambino" in his seldom seen early 1920's white capped Yankee pinstripe uniform. The central Ruthian image depicts magnificent contrast and clarity, with the only negligible flaws being an upper left corner chip, some stray wrinkles barely noticeable to the naked eye and minor etching/chipping along the lower left edge. The verso reveals the classic "CULVER PICTURES INC." stamp evident on many Bain images since the remaining Bain photos not originally captured by the "Library of Congress" were captured by Culver Pictures. More significant is the "Bain News Service" stamp affixed beneath the Culver stamp, and you can actually see a portion of the violet Bain stamp with the naked eye ("PHOTO BY BAI" text is evident). 

Early Babe Ruth Yankee photos are in high demand, with a similar photo selling for nearly $9,000 in 2016. Courtesy of Memory Lane, the advanced enthusiast is now afforded another opportunity to capture this extraordinary "Bain" Babe Ruth image that turns back the clock to an era when the "Babe" was revolutionizing our National Pastime!