A fresh-to-market original news photo dating to one of the most famous events in baseball history leads off RMY Auctions’ latest online catalog.
The 7 x 8 ½ inch Acme News image shows Jackie Robinson posed in front of the Brooklyn Dodgers’ clubhouse door on April 10, 1947. The photo is different than the more commonly seen image of Robinson with his glove raised. It carries the original dated caption on the back, titled “Open the Door Rickey.”
The launch of the Robinson photo auction comes just days after SCP Auctions sold a similar photo of Robinson with the more commonly seen angle for over $54,000.
While photos from the day in which Robinson was added to the major league roster are well-known thanks to countless reproductions, original versions from news archives are rare, with only a small number known to exist.
The photo in RMY’s auction is creased on the right side, likely because of significant use. After being used during news coverage of Robinson’s historic arrival, the photo was relegated to a photo archive, where it has been for most of the last 60-plus years.
According to the auction description, “The image itself is bold and clean with Acme images usually coming across as a touch darker than other photo services to the paper and gelatin surface they used in their developing process as this made them a touch more durable for news-room handling.”
Auction bidding is underway and will continue through October 12 at RMYAuctions.com.
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