Babe Ruth Signed 60 Home Run Photo Display Given to Teammate PSA DNA Historic
$64,995.00
Large format photographic composite offers a sizable image of Babe Ruth with bat in hand and the year (1927) is noted below. "60" Numerals denoting his record setting home run total and it is decorated throughout with a baseball corresponding to each that lists the date it was hit and pitcher who gave it up. These oversized pieces (21"x32" in frame) are among the more desirable related to the great slugger which were issued during this prolific time in his career and the select few which remain generally originate from individuals with whom he shared a close relationship. The offered example has been signed "To Ann + Ed Wells, From Babe Ruth, April 15th 1929." Wells had joined the Yankees in 1929 and was assigned the locker in between Ruth and Lou Gehrig. He would play alongside the legendary duo until 1932.
Surrounding the signed image are baseballs detailing each and every 1927 homer—from #1 against Philadelphia A's righty Howard Ehmke on April 15th, all the way through #60 off Washington Senator southpaw Tom Zachary. (Two bonus balls at bottom center denote Fall Classic clouts off Pittsburgh's Mike Cvengros and Carmen Hill in Games 3 and 4, respectively. By our count, Ruth victimized 34 pitchers, among them a pair of 4-timers—Milt Gaston (STL) and Rube Walberg (PHL)—and a couple of Hall of Famers named Lyons and Grove.)
The origins of this spellbinding 20" x 31" print hearken back to that singularly magical '27 campaign. Immediately after the Bronx Bombers' World Series conquest, an artist was evidently commissioned by Babe Ruth and/or his superagent Christy Walsh to create the original hand-penned piece, with the finished product then inscribed by Babe and presented to New York-area restaurateur and close Ruth confidant Jimmie Donohue. Donohue's prototype was universally well-received and likely spawned Ruth/Walsh to produce a new-and-improved print version that could be distributed to their inner circle of friends, associates and family. Given the premium photographic paper and print quality, it's certain that no more than a small number of these final perfected print versions would ever have been made. Of those, we are only aware of 3 other survivors: 1) An unsigned print example pictured at Ruth's very own apartment in a famous 1947 photo of the cancer-stricken legend hosting Hank Greenberg for a visit; and 2) A signed offering which was gifted by Johnny Mize to Barry Halper and sold in the 1999 Halper Collection auction. 3) A signed one inscribed to Joe Dugan.
Comes with full letter PSA DNA COA
