(LOT 14)
Extraordinary Lou Gehrig Signed Original Type 1 THORNE Photo & Gifted to Tony Lazzeri – Salutation Reads: "Tony – A real prince among all good fellows – Sincerely, Lou Gehrig – 3/19/32" - Measures Approx. 8" x 10" – PSA/DNA Encapsulated
This extraordinary Thorne Studios Type 1 Lou Gehrig photo was actually gifted to the "Iron Horse's" Hall of Fame teammate Tony Lazzeri during Spring Training on March 19, 1932! Miraculous to say the least, the outstanding 8" x 10" Gehrig fielding image includes the following salutation: "Tony – A real prince among all good fellows – Sincerely, Lou Gehrig – 3/19/32." The complete black fountain pen inscription presents itself in approximate "6" strength, with the word "among" and the "G" in Gehrig revealing significant fading. Yet, a majority of this historically significant Lou Gehrig scripted salutation including his hallowed name is completely intact, with its world-class stature further elevated by the fact that it resides on a highly coveted Type 1 Thorne Studios photo depicting the immortal Gehrig in a classic first sacker stretching pose. Incredibly, the borderless image (a Thorne trademark) emulates near-perfect contrast/resolution and no glaring flaws whatsoever, with the flipside exhibiting the critical THORNE PHOTO credit stamp. For an extensive 12 seasons (1926-1937), Lou Gehrig would team up with Tony Lazzeri to form a sensational batting duo that would wreak havoc on a myriad of overmatched American League hurlers. Furthermore, for nearly a decade (1926-'34), that tandem would also include Babe Ruth and Earl Combs to form the legendary "Murderer's Row quartet (Ruth, Gehrig, Lazzeri, Combs).

Over that span of time, it was public knowledge that Gehrig and Lazzeri developed an extremely close friendship with these two immortals ultimately capturing 5 World Championships as closely knit teammates (1927-'28; 1932; 1936-'37). Their highly recognized batting exploits require no introduction, and it comes as little surprise that Gehrig would "gift" this inscribed Thorne image over to Lazzeri, with Lou once again portraying the "gentle giant" personality that qualified him as one of the most respected and beloved all-time players. It is no secret that the Iron Horse had a "laid back" persona, quietly remaining in Babe Ruth's shadow for an extensive portion of his career. It wasn't until Ruth's exodus from New York that Gehrig's "on the field" achievements were sincerely appreciated by his adoring fan base, and due to his tragic death at the age of 37 from ALS, his scripted photos are few and far between. His iconic "Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth" farewell speech on July 4, 1939 at a packed Yankee Stadium house will forever be considered our National Pastime's version of the "Gettysburg Address", substantiating why elite enthusiasts seek his rarest artifacts. That said, what could possibly be more compelling than an original Type 1 Thorne photo inscribed by Lou Gehrig to his fellow Hall of Fame teammate Tony Lazzeri during the 1932 campaign that would see the Yankees sweep the Cubbies in the Fall Classic; spearheaded by a Ruth and Gehrig home run fest including the Bambino's illustrious "Called-Shot!"

MIN BID $1,500
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