Babe Ruth 100th Anniversary Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 7/12/2014
When Stanley Kubrick was 13 years old his father, Jack, gave his son a camera for his birthday, and the art of movie making was forever changed. Young Stanley became an avid photographer, and would often make trips around New York taking photographs which he would develop in a friend's darkroom. After selling an unsolicited photograph to LOOK Magazine, Kubrick began to associate with their staff photographers, and at the age of seventeen was offered a job as an apprentice photographer.
In the next few years spanning form 1946-1951, Kubrick had regular assignments for LOOK, and would become a voracious movie-goer. Kubrick planned a move into film, and in 1951 made his first film, a documentary called Day of the Fight. Kubrick soon made several short stories before getting in to full length films. He hit the big time with “Spartacus” in 1960, and then “2001: A Space Oddysey” in 1968, still considered by many the best science fiction movie of all time. Mega-hits (both critically and financially) followed including “A Clockwork Orange” in 1971, “The Shining” with Jack Nicholson in 1980, then “Full Metal Jacket” in 1987 and “Eyes Wide Shut” in 1999. Almost every movie Kubrick made was nominated for an Oscar or some similar prestigious award.
Kubrick was considered a genius, breaking new ground several times, but also was very demanding, with a deep desire for privacy and security that The Master became semi-reclusive.
While many of his film fans (and up and coming directors) watch and marvel at his films, what promotes the collector passion are the original images Kubrik shot as a young man for LOOK magazine.
Offered is one of the few baseball related images snapped by a young Stanley Kubrick while on assignment for LOOK magazine. The related article was titled, “Phil Rizzuto The Yankee Nipper” appearing in the May 9, 1949 issue. This particular image of Rizzuto with Joe DiMaggio around the Yankee batting cage was the large photo present at the opening page of the piece. According to the Library of Congress website, it was used in the September 5 1950 issue of LOOK Magazine for the article titled "Phil Rizzuto: The Yankee Nipper". It was used again on the Jan 15 1952 issue and the May 8 1958 issue.
This 8-3/16” x 10-1/16” image shows both Yankee Hall of Famers relaxed and smiling around the cage, taking in the pre-game atmosphere. And why not? The Yankees were on their way to another World Series victory in 1949, beginning an unprecedented run of five consecutive World Series titles. There are several creases, including a full length vertical crease one-third of the way from the right hand edge, minor edge wear and a small area of discoloration. The reverse contains the essential “LOOK MAGAZINE” bold red stamp and a portion of the magazine caption, along with two date stamps, “JUL 11 1951” and “AUG 4 1952”.
Original Stanley Kubrick photos from his days at LOOK magazine are continuously in demand, and many originals reside in the Library of Congress. There were four photographs taken by Kubrick that day at Yankee Stadium, and appear to be the only four baseball related photographs Kubrick ever took for the popular magazine. A truly unique original Stanley Kubrick photograph of Phil Rizzuto and Joe DiMaggio. PSA/DNA encapsulated as Type I.