(LOT 99)
1922 Jim Thorpe's Oorang Indians Original Team Photo - Image Measures Approx. 9-1/2" x 7-5/8" (Mount Measures Approx. 11-1/2" x 9-1/2")
"Here and there, there are some people who are supremely endowed. My memory goes back to Jim Thorpe. He never practiced in his life, and he could do anything better than any other football player I ever saw." – President Dwight D. Eisenhower ULTRA-RARE THORPE CABINET!!!... This legendary 1961 Dwight D. Eisenhower quote relating to the immortal Jim Thorpe sums up the Native American's unparalleled athletic career, with Thorpe easily residing as one of the most gifted athletes in sports history. President Eisenhower actually played against Thorpe in a 1912 collegiate game that saw Carlisle defeat West Point 27-6, with Thorpe rushing for a 97-yard touchdown! Voted by the Associated Press as the globe's greatest athlete in 1950, Thorpe justified that notion with his 1912 Olympic gold medals for both the pentathlon and decathlon events, playing major league baseball from 1913-19, and professional football from 1920-28. Playing for six professional football teams in that span, this extremely scarce and possibly unique 1922 cabinet portrays the iconic Thorpe as a player/coach for the NFL's 1922 Oorang Indians.

While Oorang would post a sub-par 3-6 record, coach Thorpe would participate as a player in five of those games, rushing for three touchdowns. At 35 years old, the great Thorpe would play one more season for Oorang, ultimately ending his football tenure after the 1928 campaign with the Chicago Cardinals. The cabinet itself reveals fine central image aesthetics, with Thorpe standing in the back row, fourth from the left. Dimensions include an approximate image size of 9-1/2" x 7-5/8" and 11-1/2" x 9-1/2" for the complete mount. Thorpe's name has been scripted in ink directly above his head, and a bold ink caption has been neatly written across the top of the image as follows: "INDIAN FOOTBALL TEAM – OCT 29, 1922." Pete Calac's first name has also been penned above his head (back row, second from the right), and while a considerable amount of scattered soiling/moisture is evident, a majority of these imperfections are restricted to the borders and the blank back. Some stray wrinkles, surface rippling, rounded corner wear, and a microscopic chip along the right edge do not compromise the integrity of the critical central image that proudly boasts 17 Oorang Indians gridiron players, with the inclusion of the iconic Jim Thorpe substantiating its world-class stature!

MIN BID $1,500
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