Opening Day Auction 2014
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/26/2014
Louis Van Oeyen opened up a small photography studio in Cleveland, and shortly thereafter accepted a job as staff photographer for the Cleveland Press. At that time, sports photography was almost non-existent but Mr. Van Oeyen began snapping images at boxing matches and baseball games, bringing the actual sports events closer to an adoring public. This made the athletes even bigger than life, and pushed Van Oeyen into the forefront of the sports landscape. He was the first to capture “action” shots, and becoming the premier sports photographer. This 6.75” x 8.5” Van Oeyen image of “The Big Train” Walter Johnson captures the greatest pitcher in baseball history in a casual look, cap tilted back recollecting at “another job well done.” While the PSA/DNA letter indicates this is a c.1930s image, the reverse has an interesting collection of stamps and writings. First is the miniature “PHOTO BY – L. VAN OEYEN CLEVELAND PRESS PHOTOGRAPHER” stamp with a written date stamp of “6-11-33” and name “Walter Johnson”, both handwritten in pencil. However, there is also a “REFERENCE DEPT JUL 22 1933 PRESS” stamp, the likely date the file department stocked the image. Other handwritten notations abound, and of interest is a sundial time stamp in the corner. The photo has a major crease deep into the left lower corner, and multiple areas of crinkling. The 1933 season was special for Johnson’s’ former team, the Washington Senators, but not great for Johnson who managed the Senators until 1932, only to see his former team win the American League pennant. Maybe building the base for that A.L. Championship team is what Johnson was “looking back on” in this classic Van Oeyen image. PSA/DNA, Type 1 Original Photo, cert number 1P04860.