Babe Ruth Pictures (some RARE ones!)

[BSmile]

Rub-a-Dub-Dub, It's Babe Ruth In The Tub!
Here we go...Post #1 of many, many more to come...
~ orig 2008 post: "So I figured I'd start a new thread here because this section seems to be the most into vintage pic's. I'm going to start this off with a very rare gem...I think it speaks for itself!"

[SHOELESSJOE3]

Los Angeles Tribune, Oct 10, 1916.

[Rennie Stennett]

Lou

Here we go....
1) Babe signing autographs after an exhibition game in Hartford, CT (with the Savitt Gems team) in 1943. This happened a few blocks from where I grew up.
2) In fact, the game happened at Bulkeley Stadium in Hartford (now gone). This plaque is at the site where the park once stood. Lou Gehrig played here in the minors with the Hartford Senators.
3) OK...not a Babe Ruth pic, but this a team photo taken in Hartford of Lou with the team in 1922.

Nice pics ! thx...the Hartford team photo is pretty cool...I purposely didn't drop the photo all the way down so I could pick out which was Lou Gehrig, without cheating. Sure enough, I got it. Not to toot my own horn, but Gehrig has the most incredible neck and back muscles around. That's how I knew. There's a shot of Lou after another Yankee World Series win, in the clubhouse with his shirt off...jeez what a back on that guy...I have not seen it in years...I wonder what he did in the offf season ? I know this is a Ruth thread, but I can't help myself...thx again.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

Babe's first set of wheels. Known to go tearing down the streets in Boston just as he did all his life scattering folks. Some where I have a disc with some articles from the news archives, his accidents he had with his cars at least half a dozen. Two serious ones, while with Boston trying to squeeze between two trolley cars..........going in opposite directions, mangled that vehicle. Another in later years, a roll over with one passenger ejected.

He didn't live long but he lived hard and fast.

[Gary Dunaier]

#4) Finally (for now), a great pic of Lou Gehrig, some kid named Joe, and The Babe. This pic was on the auction block in the past year...I forgot what it went for (a LOT). Anyways, I'd love to know a bit about it. Both The Babe and (an out of character) Lou look downright pissed-off! Babe isn't even looking at the camera and I don't think I've ever seen a pic of Lou with more of a sourpuss on his face. It cracks me up actually. I'm guessing "Joe" is the son of some politician/owner/dignitary....I could be wrong, just a guess. Anyone have a clue on this one?

More than a clue. Heritage Auctions, who sold the photo last October for $38,837.50 including buyer's premium, doesn't think Ruth and Gehrig are pissed off... they see their expressions as an "unsmiling look of determination." And Joe was not the son of an 'important' person, he was the Yankees' batboy. From Heritage's description of the photo:

The Finest Babe Ruth & Lou Gehrig Signed Photograph on Earth. Our lot title might start an argument or two, but we stand behind the pronouncement, and it would take something pretty remarkable to make us change our minds. This simply phenomenal signed photo was consigned to us by the niece of Joe Glassenberg, who served as a bat boy for the New York Yankees from 1926 through 1928. That's him, of course, standing at center of the greatest slugging duo in baseball history, staring into the camera lens with the same unsmiling look of determination shared by his Hall of Fame friends. Purely as an image, this piece would carry tremendous collecting appeal, providing a sharply detailed study of the fabled Ruth and Gehrig during the storied 1927 World Championship season.

Here's a link to Heritage's complete description of the photo, including technical information.

[BSmile]

Nice!

Good catch Gary!
However, I'd have to say that the "unsmiling look of determination" is a bit of a stretch on Heritage's part. It's a nice way to compliment the picture for an auction book...but to me, they both look like they got hurried onto the dugout steps for the picture and had a "take the friggin' picture already" look on their faces. Even the batboy has a look on his face of, "Um, sorry to make you guys have to do this.."
~B

[hellborn]

#4) Finally (for now), a great pic of Lou Gehrig, some kid named Joe, and The Babe. This pic was on the auction block in the past year...I forgot what it went for (a LOT). Anyways, I'd love to know a bit about it. Both The Babe and (an out of character) Lou look downright pissed-off! Babe isn't even looking at the camera and I don't think I've ever seen a pic of Lou with more of a sourpuss on his face. It cracks me up actually. ...
~B

There's a great photo of Ruth speaking into a radio announcer's microphone set up in the stands near the field while Gehrig looks away with an incredibly POed expression...the caption from "The Babe: A Life In Pictures" even mentions that Gehrig didn't seem to care for what Babe had to say.
I'll try to take a photo of it later.

[Brian McKenna]

Great pictures BSmile - great shots. I never paid much attention before that Ruth signed righthanded.

[BSmile]

June 13, 1948 - In Color

Here's three different shots of The Babe on that fateful last visit to The Stadium...and they're in color. In fact, they're the only color pictures that I've ever seen of The Babe...well, except for this shot (last attached) of The Babe and Ted Williams taken on July 14, 1943. If anybody has any true color pic's of The Babe, PLEASE post them here...I'd really love to see them. Color pic's of The Babe are really, super-rare (which is a shame).
~B

[locke40]

BSmile,
LOVE the color photos! Here are a few that I found.

Babe Ruth & Jack Bentley in Giants uniforms for exhibition game; Jack Dunn in middle. October 1923.

[locke40]

I believe these are from 1921, not positive.

[locke40]

5/28/24

[locke40]

[locke40]

Peerless "Babe" hangs up new world's record. "Babe" Ruth is seen making a new record with his third home run in one day in the recent double header between the Yanks and Senators

[locke40]