Lot # 626: Extremely Significant 1924 Yankees Team Photo w/a Rookie Lou Gehrig - Underwood & Underwood Type 1 Photo – Measures Approx. 8” x 10” – PSA Type 1 Encapsulation

Category: Photos

Starting Bid: $500.00

Bids: 24 (Bid History)

Time Left: Auction closed
Lot / Auction Closed




This lot is closed. Bidding is not allowed.

Item was in Auction "Winter Classic 2019",
which ran from 12/19/2019 12:00 PM to
1/11/2020 7:00 PM




(LOT 626)
Extremely Significant 1924 Yankees Team Photo w/a Rookie Lou Gehrig - Underwood & Underwood Type 1 Photo – Measures Approx. 8" x 10" – PSA Type 1 Encapsulation

The 1923 season would see the New York Yankees christen their new stadium, "The House That Ruth Built", with their inaugural World Championship. Led by the "Sultan of Swat's" incredible 1.309 OPS and 41 round-trippers, the Yankees would embark on a tradition of winning unprecedented in all of sports, with their current number of record-setting championships now standing at 27! As a side-note to that 1923 campaign, a young and powerful first baseman by the name of Henry Louis Gehrig would play in 13 games while belting his first major league home run and posting a stellar .423 batting average via his 11 hits in 26 official at-bats. Little did anyone realize this would be the beginning of one of the most remarkable careers in baseball history, and although Gehrig would only play in 10 games the following 1924 season, it would be the 1925 campaign when the "Iron Horse" would secure 1st base for the next 14 years via his unfathomable 2,130 consecutive-game streak.

Directly before the Yankees would open the 1924 season against the Boston Red Sox on April 15, 1924, this extraordinary photo of the entire team was taken, and includes a "rookie era" Henry Louis Gehrig sitting in the front row, second from the left! Incredible indeed, for it resides as one of the few known 1924 team images depicting a rookie Lou Gehrig. As an anticlimax, the illustrious Babe Ruth is also included, standing in the top row (5th from the right) and amazing as it may seem, this may truly suffice as the first time Babe Ruth's appearance in any team photo literally takes a backseat to another player. Yet, as most hobbyists realize, ANY rookie image of the immortal Gehrig (card or photo) immediately elevates that artifact to world class stature.

Gehrig's legacy can be traced back to his Columbia University playing days where Gehrig dominated as both a standout pitcher and slugging first baseman. Catching the attention of renowned New York Yankee scout Paul Krichell, on April 28, 1923 Gehrig hit one of the longest home runs ever seen at Columbia's South Field; a mammoth 450-foot blast that sailed completely out of the ball park! One of many Lou Gehrig wallops, it was that particular round tripper that "sealed the deal" for Krichell as the prominent scout signed Gehrig to a Yankee contract only two days later. As previously stated, before the Yankees completed that 1923 season, Gehrig would partake in 26 games, providing the fans with a "glimpse" of their future superstar first sacker.

The 8' x 10" photo itself reveals a spectacular central image, as the 1923 World Champion New York Yankees prepare to open their 1924 season against Boston, a game they would eventually win by a 2-1 score. True, while there are several perimeter related issues including significant upper and lower corner chipping, the critical central body of this museum worthy image remains relatively unscathed. The verso reflects the renowned Underwood & Underwood credit stamp as well as a 4/15/24 caption that details how Hall of Fame manager Miller Huggins did not want an opening day team photo taken unless the prior year resulted in a pennant winning season, afraid of the "camera jinx" theory. In closing, from a collecting perspective, there are few and far between artifacts representing Gehrig's early Yankee playing days; most likely due to his extremely limited playing time his first two seasons.

It is for all of these reasons that this breathtaking Lou Gehrig "Rookie Era" Type 1 offering stands as one of the rarest and pinnacle testaments to his unparalleled legacy, justifying why we highly advise you to seize this truly obscure 1924 Yankees team image that effectively transcends time to the earliest play days of the legendary "Iron Horse"!


MIN BID $500
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