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Original photos from 19th century baseball stars highlight Lelands Fall Auction
Carte-de-visite photos were all the rage in the 1860s.
According to the National Portrait Gallery, the small 4 ½-by-2 ½-inch cards featured black-and-white photos of celebrities and athletes. They were invented in 1854 by A.A.E. Disderi and often included in Victorian portrait albums.
Lelands is featuring the largest and most significant collection of 19th century baseball CDVs ever presented at auction in its 2023 Fall Classic Auction, which runs through Nov. 18.
The CDV collection, which features more than 40 hobby-fresh individual portrait images of many of the game’s earliest stars, comes from a remarkable and unprecedented find of early baseball photographs recently discovered in a 19th century photo album.
Included in the album are team composite CDVs for seven of the nine founding members of the 1871 National Association — baseball’s first professional league — plus CDVs of the early stars like Cap Anson, Jim O’Rourke, Dan Brouthers, Albert Spalding, A.J. Reach, Lipman Pike, Candy Cummings and brothers George and Harry Wright.
Also featured in the auction are an exceptional Babe Ruth single-signed baseball and Ruth-signed and inscribed Type 1 Photograph from his 1934 tour of Japan.
The Ruth-signed baseball, which is graded PSA 8, overall by comes from the personal collection of former Boston Braves catcher Phil Masi and has been consigned directly from a Masi family member. The ball was signed by Ruth when Masi visited the Braves spring training during the late 1940s.
Other auction highlights include:
• A 1980-81 Terry Bradshaw Pittsburgh Steelers game-worn jersey photo-matched to a Nov. 9 preseason game and another, undated image. It is one of fewer than five photo-matched Bradshaw jerseys known to exist and comes with an LOA from the Steelers signed by Vice President Art Rooney Jr.
• 1933 Goudey near complete set minus Nap Lajoie.
• 1933 World Wide Gum #55 Lou Gehrig signed card.
• 1955 Topps Baseball Jackie Robinson #50 (PSA Mint 9).
• 1956 Topps Baseball #33 Roberto Clemente Gray Back (PSA 9).
• 1961-63 Mickey Mantle game-used bat from his 1961 home run chase and MVP era (PSA GU 9).
• 1968 Topps 3-D Baseball Roberto Clemente (PSA 8).
• The only known Thurman Munson “MVP 1976” inscribed single-signed baseball.
• 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle #311 card (SGC VG 3).
• Pete Rose’s final MLB contract
• 1952 Bob Lemon Indians game-worn jersey photo-matched to his 20th win of the season (MEARS A10).
Other game-worn or game-used memorabilia in the auction includes:
• a 1992 Ken Griffey Jr. photo-matched Home Run Derby Mariners jersey.
• 2022 Astros World Series championship ring.
• 1954 Type 1 photo from Hank Aaron’s major league debut.
• Mike Tyson’s 1986 fight-worn gloves from his fight vs. Reggie Gross and the protective rubber mouthpiece worn by Tyson during his heavyweight championship title defenses against James “Bonecrusher” Smith and Pinklon Thomas.
• Warren Moon game-worn jersey photo-matched to his last career Houston Oilers game from the AFC Divisional Championship Game on Jan. 16, 1994.
• Cassius Clay circa 1960 original photo used for his Rookie Exhibit Card (PSA Type 1.
• Secretariat horseshoe nail from the legendary racehorse’s record-setting run at the 1973 Belmont Stakes.
• Full ticket from the 1907 World Series Game 5 clincher.
• Sandy Koufax game-worn Los Angeles Dodgers cap from his 1965 Cy Young and Triple Crown season.
• 1995 Greg Maddux Braves World Series game-worn glove.
• Jack Morris’ 1992 Blue Jays World Series trophy.
• Signed 1953 Topps Baseball #220 Satchel Paige card (PSA EX 5, Auto 9, Pop 1).
• 2022 Panini Prizm Black Kenny Pickett Rookie Auto 1/1 (PSA 10).
• Football photo-matched to Ryan Succop’s 52-yard field goal for the Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV.
For more information about the Lelands 2023 Fall Classic Auction, visit lelands.com.
