Legendary August Live 2010
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on:
8/5/2010
Graded 40 VG 3 by SGC, the lone example validated by that company. This rare, 3-3/16” x 5-7/16” postcard’s extraordinary image is one of the finest and most published team photos ever produced. The photo captures the New York Giants posing along the grand stairway of a posh hotel in 1903. John McGraw took over the Giants in mid-season of 1902, bringing with him a no-nonsense, regimented approach to the game learned during his days with the famed Baltimore Orioles. His formula worked, and in just two short years the Giants captured their first World Championship; they remained a National League power throughout his long managerial career. (And, as one might expect from a team managed by McGraw, none of the players – including a young Christy Mathewson and Roger Bresnahan – are wearing smiles.) This photo was so well-received at the time it was created (by Falk Studios) that it became the preferred image when publishing a photo of McGraw's 1905 World Championship squad, as the two lineups were nearly identical. Despite its use in numerous baseball books throughout the years, the haunting elegance of this image remains as powerful today as it did when first printed. The card exhibits generally mild corner wear and a scattering of minor creases – almost all of which reside in the bottom area’s white margin and thus do not in the slightest impact the piece’s illustration. The back is perfectly clean and unused, and its postcard design is boldly printed. A magnificent vintage collectible depicting McGraw's Giants during his first full season as manager. Very Good condition.
Circa 1903 New York Giants Falk Studios Real Photo Postcard, Featuring John McGraw and a Young Christy Mathewson – SGC 40 VG 3
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