Back Lot Number: 719  
     

Lot 719
 
Description: Important 1914 Providence Grays full plate glass negative with Babe Ruth. Incredible discovery of an original glass plate negative picturing the 1914 Providence Grays with a young rookie by the name of Babe Ruth. The Boston Red Sox had purchased the rights to Babe Ruth from the Baltimore Orioles of the International League. He began with the Red Sox in July and played in his first game on July 11, 1914. After about one month, the Red Sox optioned him to the Providence Grays in order to give Ruth some playing time and allow his skills to develop. He proceeded to lead the team to the International League title behind a pitching record of 8-3. The offered glass negative measures a full plate size of 11"x14" with its image surface remaining notably clean for its age. The negative has a single vertical crack which has separated to form two sections, but does not intersect with Ruth who is at the center of the image. The 1914 Providence Grays team photograph is one of the most highly sought after original baseball images with only a handful of original prints extant. Original full plate glass negatives of this importance are exceedingly scarce and rarely become available to the collecting public. The location of this historic negative was unknown until its current offering and is being sold for the first time publicly. The lot also includes (2) other vintage Providence Grays baseball team glass plate negatives as discovered with the 1914 Ruth piece. The negatives measure 8"x10" and 11"x14" respectively picturing a Grays team that appears to date to the 1915-25 era. Incredible scarcity of great significance dating to Babe Ruth's first professional season; EX (With note to crack)
Sold For: $6,500.00

 
Estimated Price: ($7,500.00-$10,000.00)  
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