A framed cabinet style photo of pitching legend Christy Mathewson sold for $145,700 Tuesday as part of a special auction of items from the early 20th century pitcher.
The photo was one of more than 120 items offered in a live finale format.
It originated in the studio of Carl Horner, the legendary photographer who shot portrait photos of players over several years, including the famous image used on Honus Wagner’s T206 card. The 6 ½” x 9” size of the photo—larger than most surviving Horner images– led the auction house to believe it may have been a persona gift from Horner to Mathewson.
The lot surpassed its $50,000-$100,000 pre-sale estimate.
Another oversized photo—one that card collectors will recognize as the same image shown on one of his T206 baseball cards and measured more than two feet long tallied $94,000.
Several other photos, some from noted baseball photographer Charles Conlon, crossed into five figures including one with a note from Mathewson on the back indicating it was his “first baseball photo” with the New York Giants.
Mathewson served in the U.S. Army as a chemical officer during World War I but a training accident led to gas exposure that ultimately shortened his life. Numerous items from his service were offered in the auction, including his uniform that sold for $22,325 and a map case with a signed identification placard that went for $19,975.
A handwritten letter to a young fan dating to the 1910s realized $16,450.
In 1967, Mathewson’s wife donated the items to Keystone Academy (now Keystone College) in his home state of Pennsylvania but they were recently de-accessioned and were being offered to the public for the first time.
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