LOT Old Heritage Auctions  /  2006 October Signature Sports Auction #705  / 

19083

Christy Mathewson Signed Cabinet Photo PSA/DNA

Currency:USD Category:Sports - Cards & Fan Shop / Sports - Autographs (Original) Start Price:6,000.00 USD Estimated At:10,000.00 - 20,000.00 USD
Christy Mathewson Signed Cabinet Photo PSA/DNA
<B>1911 Christy Mathewson Signed Cabinet Photograph.</B></I> A dream will come true for one sophisticated collector here, as Heritage presents one of the most remarkable sports autographs to be placed upon the auction block in recent memory. Those with even a passing knowledge of the baseball collectibles market are aware of the scarcity and desirability of any Mathewson signature. Christy's death by pneumonia in 1925, the delayed result of a World War I poisonous gas attack, ended the supply more than eight decades ago. And his well justified placement in Cooperstown's inaugural class has created a feeding frenzy among collectors wherever his scarce autograph appears. But almost never do we find the opportunity to own a Mathewson signed photograph, much less one that dates from the absolute pinnacle of the New York Giants hurler's considerable fame.<BR><BR> The 1911 season marked Matty's fourth of five seasons as League leader in earned run average, notching a microscopic 1.99 en route to the National League flag. He would win twenty-six in 1911 against just thirteen losses, and even start and win the first game of the World Series, allowing just a single run to Mack's power-packed Athletics roster in a head to head battle with fellow Hall of Famer Chief Bender. While, again, any autograph from Mathewson commands attention, a signature of this vintage proves all the more delectable.<BR><BR> We begin with the image itself, a razor-sharp study of Mathewson's famously boyish good looks. The image area measures 3.75x5.5" in size, with the mount bringing the final dimensions to 5.5x7.5". Mathewson appears in his 1910 Giants jersey, which serves as the background for his fountain pen inscription. It reads, "To Mr. Peter Heim From Christy Mathewson, Jan 7, 1911." Just five years short of a century since its placement on the photo, the inscription remains impressively bold and entirely legible, mellowing to an average of 6/10 in strength. The image itself remains in magnificent NRMT condition, with only mild wear at the edges of the cardboard mount to bear witness to the piece's many decades on this earth. A truly majestic artifact, capable of stealing the breath from even the most scholarly hobbyist. <I>LOA from PSA/DNA.</B></I>
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