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Lot # 1: 1903 Honus Wagner, "His Iconic T206 Portrait Image" Original Cabinet Photo by Carl Horner

Category: Featured Lots

Starting Bid: $25.00

Bids: 74 (Bid History)

Time Left: Auction closed
Lot / Auction Closed




This lot is closed. Bidding is not allowed.

Item was in Auction "Summer Premier Auction 2018",
which ran from 7/1/2018 12:00 AM to
7/14/2018 8:00 PM



Of all the millions of photographs taken of baseball players from the genesis of the game to modern times, one stands out as the most important in the history of sports collectibles. On an unknown day in 1903 Honus Wagner and his teammates found themselves in the studio of Carl Horner, well known young Boston photographer who was anxious for a big job. He would undertake the task of photographing each and every major league ballplayer in uniform to be used in publications and books as well as selling the images to fans right out of his studio. Boston was the perfect location for such an undertaking as it housed an American and National League club and every ballplayer would find himself in the city at one point during the season. Young Honus Wagner was one of the hottest stars in the game, and he posed for Horner looking dapper and well dressed, seemingly aware of the impact of the event. With one click of the shutter, history was made. The image of Honus Wagner that would become his most famous and the one used for the worlds most expensive and iconic baseball card was taken! While it has been reproduced millions of times over the years, only a handful or original examples of this photograph exist today, with this being the second finest in the hobby. Still attached to its original white mount from Carl Horner, the photograph was trimmed by an artist at a Cleveland Newspaper over a hundred years ago for publication but it presents here in beautiful condition with absolutely perfect registry and contrast. Two lone pinholes are the only flaws and the image has a hint of artistic enhancements done from publication. The back bears a file stamp of June 16, 1913 but research has indicated this was the day that the Cleveland Plain Dealer stamped all their existing photographs so the date is significant in that is represents this item was in the morgue at the newspaper in 1913 having rested there for some time before. With only one Wagner cabinet known on a full white mount from Carl Horner, this original example ranks as the second finest in the hobby and is worthy of even the greatest collection of baseball cards and photographs in the world. A Hall of Fame worthy specimen of one of the most important photographs ever taken in the history of the game and the most important in the hobby of sports collectibles! This is a fresh to the market image that is being offered publicly for the first time ever!

Size: 3.5x4.75
Designation: Vintage 1
Condition: 4/5
Quality: 5/5
Overall Grade: 9/10

Views: 1917