Among all the stars of the early Negro Leagues, James "Cool Papa" Bell is one of the tougher to find quality images of. Not as flamboyant as Satchel Paige or powerful as Josh Gibson, he quietly put up huge numbers and became one of the top players of his era. The offered large 1946 image of Bell manning the outfield for the Homestead Grays is one of the best images of the Hall of Famer that has ever come to market and compared to many of the other images of its type, it is in remarkably clean condition! Measuring a full 8x10, the image is crisp and clean (nearly perfect) having been protected in a scrapbook for over fifty years! While the back has some extra paper adhered to it, the photo presents magnificently and is easily among the top images of Bell that exists. A statuesque pose in front of the outfield wall, the uniform patch and style concretely dates this to 1946, this was his last year as a player even though he hit an amazing .396!

Size: 8x10
Designation: Vintage 1
Condition: 4.5/5
Quality: 5/5
Overall Grade: 9.5/10