Lot # 173: 1946 Jackie Robinson & Joe Louis PSA Type 1 Encapsulated International News Photos – Measures Approx. 6-1/2” x 8-1/2”

Category: Photos

Starting Bid: $500.00

Bids: 2 (Bid History)

Time Left: Auction closed
Lot / Auction Closed




This lot is closed. Bidding is not allowed.

Item was in Auction "20th Anniversary Auction",
which ran from 9/18/2020 4:30 PM to
10/10/2020 7:00 PM




(LOT 173)
1946 Jackie Robinson & Joe Louis PSA Type 1 Encapsulated International News Photos – Measures Approx. 6-1/2" x 8-1/2"

This extraordinary photo portrays the immortal Jackie Robinson chatting with the great Hall of Fame heavyweight champion boxer Joe Louis during the late Spring of 1946. A miraculous offering to say the least, these legendary sports heroes are widely recognized as two of the foremost Africa-American icons at their selected crafts. The "Brown Bomber", Joe Louis, held the heavyweight boxing title for 13 consecutive years (1937-1949), and won a staggering 66 fights against only 3 losses. His most notable win came against the German Champion Max Schmeling who had handed Louis his first professional loss on June 19, 1936. Two years later, on June 22, 1938 before a packed house of over 70,000 fans at Yankee Stadium, Louis literally "pummeled" Scheming in the first round, knocking him down three times until the referee called the match after 2 minutes/4 seconds.

Louis had exacted his revenge and immediately assumed the role of an American hero. Meanwhile, three years before Joe Louis would lose his 13-year reign as heavyweight champion, the Brooklyn Dodgers were closely following a remarkably talented ballplayer by the name of Jackie Robinson. Before Jackie Robinson's historical Dodger debut on April 15, 1947 whereby he was the first African-American to appear in a Major League game, he was "lighting up" the minor leagues with the Montreal Royals in 1946. Jackie led the league in three major categories including a sensational .349 batting average, .468 on-base percentage and 113 runs scored. It was that remarkable year that ultimately led Branch Rickey to place him on the Brooklyn Dodger's 1947 roster to officially break the Major League "color barrier" that had plagued baseball since its professional inception in 1869. When all is said and done, many boxing experts still insist Joe Louis was the greatest all-time heavyweight while Jackie Robinson's contribution to both baseball and an equal-rights driven society certainly need no introduction.

This photo ironically portrays the "Brown Bomber" holding a baseball bat and Jackie wearing the boxing glove on his left hand, as the two sports heroes engage in what appears to be a serious conversation. Measuring approximately 6-1/2" x 8-1/2", the critical central image has remained virtually unscathed over the past 74 years, retaining a majority of its original near-perfect contrast and clarity, with only some light peripheral wrinkles scattered along the borders. An INTERNATIONAL NEWS PHOTOS credit stamp and JUN 18, 1946 ink date are both affixed to the verso, validating its important 1946 origin. What else can we possibly say regarding the world-class standing of this super scarce offering that includes two of America's legendary African-American sports legends who both left an indelible mark not only on their respective vocations but more significantly, a captivated Nation!

MIN BID $500
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