(LOT 249)
c.1910's Walter Johnson PSA Type 1 Encapsulated Charles M. Conlon Photo – "Arguably Johnson's Finest Pitching Image" - Measures Approx. 7-3/4" x 9-1/2"
No baseball photographer carries the ultimate prestige of Charles Conlon, who captured our National Pastime's greatest players in an awe inspiring "moment of time" so many times during the pre-WW1 era. One of those immortal ballplayers is the incomparable Walter Johnson, whose legendary fastball overpowered hitters for some 20 seasons, leading to the unfathomable modern-day records of 417 wins and 113 shutouts! Indeed, trying to hit the "Big Train's" fastball was like "trying to eat soup with a fork", substantiating his assumed #1 stature among all baseball hurlers. No wonder this remarkable 7-3/4" x 9-1/2" Charles Conlon pitching image of the hallowed Senators twirler arguably resides as his most revered photo extant, portraying the iconic hurler in an imposing pitching pose that like so many other Conlon illustrations, exhibits the finest possible contrast and clarity.

Taken during an era when Johnson was embarking on his unparalleled pitching career, his timeless image literally "turns back the clock", as the "Big Train" has most likely unleashed another blazing fastball. His classic Washington pinstriped flannels "steals the show", transcending time to that wonderful pre-WW1 period when baseball was laying the grounding for ultimately assuming the exalted role of America's Pastime. Other than a few microscopic-like wrinkles barely visible to the naked eye, this hallowed image has miraculously eluded any notable flaws, with the verso revealing the critical "Charles M. Conlon – Evening Telegram – New York" credit stamp. The 1910's period would see Johnson win a staggering 265 games via 20+ wins every campaign (an average of 26.5 wins per season!), lead the Junior Circuit in strikeouts nine times (all but one season), and most miraculously, posting a sub-2.00 E.R.A. nine of the 10 seasons to the tune of a miraculous 1.59 E.R.A. for the decade. Those numbers alone substantiate why the immortal Walter Johnson stands atop virtually everyone's list as baseball's finest all-time hurler, and synonymous with that notion is this museum worthy Conlon masterpiece that arguably resides as the hobby's premier "Big Train" photo!

MIN BID $1,000
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