Alas, if only we knew more about the specific details of this encounter between young Ruth and his dapper companion. Is it a devoted fan? An associate? A friend? Chances are, given the photo's origins in the "Babe Ruth Farewell Album" put together by the Yankees front office, there's a Yankee connection here somehow. But for now, we'll just have to focus on the intriguing interaction and the charming wooden wall of the Polo Grounds. This photo could not be conclusively assessed by PSA according to Type (due to residue covering the reverse), but appears to be a "period" example produced by a "duplicate negative."

     Provenance: This lot originates from the "Babe Ruth Farewell Album" that was prepared by the Yankees franchise upon Ruth's death and gifted to his widow Claire, then eventually acquired by Barry Halper and presented in Sotheby's 1999 Halper Auction. The 80-page scrapbook featured photos, news clippings and various well-wishing letters from fellow ballplayers. Each photo reverse exhibits related mounting remnants/wear that in some cases shows through to the front side. Goldin Auctions will be donating 5% of the winning bid price of this lot and all lots in this auction to the Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum.

Please note: Due to their routine newsroom usage for publication purposes, all news-service photos generally bear varying degrees of handling wear (creasing, crazing, chipping, etc.) and editorial marks (outlining, cropping, highlighting, background masking, etc.).

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