Christy Mathewson was photographed hundreds of times on the diamond, and among all those photographs people have debated for years which ones is the BEST. While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, we now know (thanks to this discovery) which one was Matty's personal favorite! It is not often that a photograph surfaces that gives us a peak into the personal lives of baseballs greatest stars, but Charles Conlon himself has given us that peak with his note on the back of this photograph. In his classic handwriting Conlon has scribed, "Christy Mathewson His Favorite Photo". Conlon would know! He was the first photographer to show up on the field in 1904 and capture the stars of the diamond and his subject was Mathewson and the Giants. They developed a friendship and would have spent hours and hours talking about all things including photography. For Conlon to state unequivocally that this photo was Mathewson's favorite means that Matty told him so! The photo is a classic image in full uniform from the height of his career (c. 1913) and was used for countless publications and even some baseball cards. While there are later file marks on the back, the photo itself absolutely dates to the 1910's and the Conlon handwriting assures its authenticity and origin. Photo has some wear reserved to the periphery and a tiny piece of tape on the back reinforcing the small rip on the far right side but the image quality and superb displayability make this a stellar example. All things considered, one of the best Mathewson photos in the world!

Size: 6.5x8.5
Designation: Vintage 1
Condition: 2.5/5
Quality: 5/5
Overall Grade: 7.5/10