(LOT 76)
1939 Lou Gehrig "Standing in Dugout" Type I Original International News Photo – Measures Approx. 6-1/2" x 8-1/2" – PSA Type 1 LOA
One of our National Pastime's monumental moments took place on May 2, 1939 when Lou Gehrig ended his remarkable 2,130-consecutive game streak at Detroit's Briggs Stadium. For 14 season Gehrig had steadfastly positioned himself at 1st base for the New York Yankees, clouting 493 homers, knocking in nearly 2,000 runs, compiling a sensational .340 lifetime batting average and accumulating 100+ R.B.I.'s in a record 13-conescutive seasons! Even more earth shattering was the incomprehensible sadness that swept across the country after the Mayo Clinic's report revealed that Gehrig was suffering from the incurable ALS disease (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) that would eventually claim the life of this Yankee icon.

Stricken to the bench forever after his excruciating May 2nd decision to terminate his playing days, Gehrig would remain with the team straight thru the end of the season in his "Captain" roll and see his Yankees claim their fourth consecutive world championship. As virtually every baseball fan knows, Gehrig's exalted moment would come on July 4th of that season when before a packed house on "Lou Gehrig Day", he would deliver his incomparable "Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth" farewell speech at Yankee Stadium that will forever reside as our National Pastime's "Gettysburg Address". As a sensational heirloom from that 1939 melancholy period, presented here is a momentous photo of Lou Gehrig donning his home Yankee pinstripes, leaning against a pillar in the Yankee Stadium dugout.

Most likely taken after Gehrig ended his 2,130-game streak, it portrays the Yankee Captain helplessly peering at his teammates on the playing field, an act he would never be part of again. Measuring approximately 6-1/2" x 8-1/2" and deemed an unmistakable Type 1 original photo by PSA, in typical Gehrig modest fashion, he is portraying one of his good-natured grins, even in lieu of his deadly ALS disease that would claim his life some two years later. Awe-inspiring resolution and a brilliant central image and a relatively clean surface support the outstanding eye appeal, with the only major aesthetic issues being four pinholes situated near each corner. The verso reveals the significant International News Photos credit stamp, the final exclamation point for one of Gehrig's most imposing images that effectively stands as an enduring tribute to his unparalleled fortitude and courage! - LOA – PSA/DNA Type I

MIN BID $400
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