(LOT 170)
c.1941 Joe DiMaggio Dressed as Santa Clause & Holding His 3-Month Old Son "Joe Jr." - PSA Type 1 Encapsulated Associated Press Photo - Measures Approx. 7" x 9"
The 1941 calendar year could not have turned out any better for "Joltin Joe" DiMaggio! Not only did he embark on his record setting 56-game hitting streak, but he ultimately claimed the American League MVP while leading the Yankees to their 9th World Championship and fifth in a six-year span. Indeed, the Yankee Clipper's 1941 campaign truly stands as one of baseball's greatest all-time batting feats. Not only did DiMaggio achieve a seemingly un-breakable 56 consecutive game streak record, he also compiled a .357 average, 30 dingers, 125 runs batted in, 122 runs scored and posted an unfathomable 1.083 OPS. Even more miraculous was his unparalleled "bat control" for a power hitter as Joltin Joe only struck out a meager 13 times, with all of the above leading to "Joe D" claiming the A.L. Most Valuable Player Award. As an almost anti-climax, the Yankees would best the Brooklyn Dodgers in five games in the 1941 Fall Classic, with that accomplishment nearly putting the "icing on the cake" for DiMaggio's incredible year. Yet, for all of the aforementioned triumphs, none could possibly compare to the "enchanted" day of October 23, 1941 when DiMaggio's wife Dorothy Arnold gave birth to the Yankee Clipper's only child, Joe Jr. For all of his incomparable success, the immortal Joe DiMaggio was now a father, and this sensational 7" x 9" PSA Type 1 offering actually depicts Joltin Joe dressed as Santa Clause for that 1941 Christmas Season, proudly holding his 2-month old son Joe Jr. in a classic Christmas stocking that reads "Merry Christmas".

Obviously taken at his New York apartment in December 1941, you can see the classic period-style Christmas tree situated behind DiMaggio's right shoulder, with the accompanying background sofa leading us to believe the images were shot in his living room. Only a few stray border wrinkles are evident, with the DiMaggio Santa Clause/Joe Jr. central image revealing the finest possible clarity and contrast as the relatively new "proud papa" shows off his finest achievement. The final compliment is the significant Associated Press Photo credit stamp affixed to the verso, and we simply cannot imagine a finer testament to "Joltin Joe's" momentous 1941 campaign than this ultra-eclectic Type 1 masterpiece that truly captures his greatest gift of all via the "Magic of Christmas"!

MIN BID $400
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