Original 1894 studio photograph of young Hall of Famer Willie Keeler from the Baltimore Orioles and pictured in a formal studio setting. This image is his most famous early portrait ever taken and was used by the Betz studios for most of their team cabinets but also, and more importantly, this is the photo used to make Keelers 1894 Alpha Engraving rookie card! The photo was likely originally a cabinet image that was removed from the backing at a newspaper archive, the photo also has some additional editorial artwork from additional publication over the years. Authenticated and encapsulated by PSA as a "Type 1", they assigned a date of c. 1900 but this is an 1894 image based on research. This is the only known image used to make Keeler's rookie card that we have ever seen in the entire hobby and it might be the sole survivor from the Betz studio. The photo is in great shape with a small indentation from a paperclip on the right border being the only flaw. One of the most important 19th century rookie images known in the entire industry!

Size: 3.75x5.5
Designation: Vintage 1
Condition: 4.5/5
Quality: 5/5
Overall Grade: 9.5/10