MEARS Auction #20, Ends November 27th, 2010, 9:00 CST, w/15-Minute Rule

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Lot #1172:

1920-30s Ty Cobb Detroit Tigers and Henry Ford Handshake - Rex Teeslink Original Type 1 3" x 5.25" Cobbed personally owned photo (LOA MEARS/Rex Teeslink)

Even more rare than this collection of sparsely-seen photographs from Ty Cobb's personal scrapbook are photographs from this collection in which the gruff Tigers legend can be seen smiling. This vintage personal photograph shows the less-than-affable Hall of Famer (left) cracking an uncommon grin. Another thing making this image truly special is the identity of the man on the other end of thie pictured handshake. Someone looking an awful lot like famed industrialist (and fellow Detroit heavyweight) Henry Ford shakes Cobb's hand in front of - you guessed it - a Ford automobile.

The photo measures approximately 3" x 5.25" in size and in EX-NM condition.

Rex Teeslink served as Ty Cobb’s medical caretaker from May 24, 1961 until Cobb’s death on July 17 of the same year. In the waning weeks of the baseball great’s life, he and Teeslink forged a lasting bond. In fact, Teeslink indicates that he was among the few people Cobb trusted during the last days of his life, and the loyal caretaker was one of only two people present when the iconic Tiger took his final breath.

Upon Cobb’s passing, Teeslink was willed several items, including one of Cobb’s personal scrapbooks. These rarely seen, entirely original images come from that scrapbook. Each of these treasured photographs is accompanied by a Sporting News Collection hologram, and an individual Letter of Authenticity, written and personally signed by Mr. Rex Teeslink himself.

(MEARS Auction LOA~SB)