Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson join Elvis, Marilyn Monroe in sports/pop culture auction at Hunt, Christie’s
Sports and entertainment have always merged in Hollywood, creating a wide cross-section of pop culture memorabilia that features some of the most iconic figures in American history.
Dr. G.B. Espy, a longtime collector of American history, pop culture and sports memorabilia, assembled a collection that represented a wide cross-section of such sports legends as Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, “Shoeless” Joe Jackson and Ty Cobb alongside iconic pieces from the personal collections of Hollywood icons as Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Clark Gable, Katharine Hepburn, and Buddy Holly.
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Espy’s collection features such unique and historic collectibles as a U.S. Defense Department card belonging to Marilyn Monroe that she signed “Norma Jean DiMaggio”; Jackie Robinson’s Hall of Fame induction ring; and the last home jersey worn by legendary first baseman and Yankees Captain Lou Gehrig during the 1939 World Series.
The American Greats: Vintage Sports and Hollywood from the Dr. G.B. Espy Collection auction and the Vintage Sports and Hollywood Online auction, both presented by Christie’s and Hunt Auctions, features more than 400 lots of sports, music and Hollywood memorabilia. According to Hunt, the auction paints “a panoramic picture of American popular culture of the 20th century.”
The American Greats: Vintage Sports and Hollywood live auction will take place at Christie’s Rockefeller Center Oct. 22, with the digital Vintage Sports and Hollywood Online running through Oct. 24. Lots from both auctions will be on display at Christie’s Rockefeller Center Oct. 18-21.
“Dr. Espy was a pioneering collector of historic memorabilia during the formative years of the medium within the industry,” Hunt Auctions President David Hunt said. “He had a great eye and an encyclopedic interest in America. For decades, this collection has occupied a position within the hobby as one of the most important of its type and these sales are assured to be a landmark event at Christie’s in the heart of New York City.”
Dr. Espy, a respected physician and humanitarian who traveled the globe on medical missions, was a Jackson, Ala. native who made his life and career in Atlanta, where he also collected memorabilia from the Atlanta Braves, University of Georgia and Georgia Tech, as well as his beloved Alabama Crimson Tide.
He began collecting early in life, exploring his mother’s antique store. An avid athlete and sports fan, he initially collected college football memorabilia before expanding to other sports.
“Dr. Espy formed a collection that tells the story of 20th century America from its playing fields to its movie theaters,” said Nathalie Ferneau, a sports memorabilia specialist at Christie’s. “Collectors and historians will find an array of rare and important pieces of memorabilia at all levels of interest and value to study and acquire.”