The 1927 photograph of Babe Ruth batting by Charles Conlon offered here is arguably one of the top 3-4 most important baseball photographs of all time. It captures Ruth from head to toe and has been used for countless articles and publications, but its use in the 1933 Goudey baseball card set is what really sets it apart as a truly iconic piece of photography. As famous as the image is, it almost does not exist in vintage form. Only one or two specimens are known in Type 1 form and only a handful of others can be attributed to Ruth's career and lifetime with possibly less than ten total developed during the slugger's life in circulation. The offered photograph is a c. 1930's vintage example that has an absolutely outstanding vintage look and feel to it. The photo is crystal clear and appears to be off the original negative but has been deemed to be off a high-quality duplicate negative by PSA. They have assigned it as a Type 4 from the early 1940s, but we feel this photo is actually closer to a 1930's example and definitely before the end of WWII but whether this is a 1935 or 1940 specimen really does not matter as it dates to Ruth's lifetime. We call this a Vintage 2(b), but this translates to a PSA Type 4 which is where it sits, fully encapsulated. Few images with this classification can still be in the upper echelon of Ruth images we have ever offered, but this photo is extremely rare to find and this is the finest example we have ever handled in over twenty years of collecting vintage baseball photographs! The photo has tape and pinholes, mostly reserved to the edges, a handwritten name on the corner, and some light creasing and wear (including a tiny crease on Ruth's left eye) but the image has such a great look and feel to it that is could easily pass for a Type 1 in all aspects of clarity and age! A museum-quality relic that is being offered here for the first time ever!

Size: 8x10
Designation: Vintage 2(b)
Condition: 1.5/5
Quality: 5/5
Overall Grade: 6.5/10