Original photograph of Babe Ruth releasing a bird which was used to make one of his most iconic Baseball cards of all time, his 1922 E121 American Caramel Card. People have always wondered WHY he was doing it. Now we know from the paper caption on the back. He was releasing Carrier Pigeons to relay the scores of the intense Cleveland v. New York Series from September 26,1921! This is the ONLY known original photograph of the famous Ruth/Bird image we know of in the World. Condition is very nice, would be near mint but for two small pinholes at the bottom that do not show through on the back and a few tiny wrinkles in the same area. Reverse has a paper caption as well as stamps from NEA (Dated September 28, 1921).

A baseball card from this photo sold for nearly $4,000 in 2008, but this is THE PHOTO from which that image was produced. Hard to say how much more this photo would be worth.