Baseball hasn't changed much in the last 100 years. It's still a game in which young boys worship masters of the craft and dream of meeting them someday, perhaps even becoming a Professional Ballplayer themselves. Never has this ideal of Hero Worship been better exemplified than this absolutely incredible photograph from 1909 of a young fan and his Dad at the ballpark meeting his hero. The player is Ira Thomas, star Catcher of the Philadelphia Athletics, shaking hands with a young fan (bandaged thumb and all) while a scorecard toting Dad beams with pride. Of all the TWO MILLION photos we have handled in the past decade, this is one of our most treasured offerings as it represents all that is good with sports; the bonds between Fathers and Sons as well as the ideals and morals of sports in general connecting generation upon generation of fans to each other through a never ending cycle of boys and men playing the same game. Silver gelatin photo has two small pinholes and some creasing. We have found ourselves continually going back to this image and looking at it as it brings emotion and happiness that speak to the reasons why we collect pieces of the past. Words can not do this image the appropriate justice it deserves! This photo sold for over $600 in our June 2014 auction.

Size: 8x10
Designation: Vintage 1
Condition: 2/5
Quality: 5/5
Overall Grade: 7/10