This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/29/2012
In our opinion, this is the finest oversized studio photograph depicting Babe Ruth ever publicly offered. Our research reveals that at its size, 16x20, this is the largest studio image of Ruth known. Rich sepia tones are hand printed on high grade photographic paper. The oversized image mixed with the rich sepia tones combine to create a photographic masterpiece.
Why was this image captured per studio standards and with a large oversized format? The answer is simple, George Pietzcker.
Already a fixture on the PGA golf circuit, Pietzcker grew accustomed to photographing the greats of golf. His work is featured in the USGA museum where his images of Robert Jones, Walter Hagen, and Gene Sarazen proudly hang. His favorite medium was the oversized 16x20 image, and his originals are highly sought after by advanced fine art aficionados.
His bio appears at the USGA website as, “A remarkable photographer from St. Louis by the name of George Pietzcker traversed the country documenting the personalities, places, and happenings of the golf world from the early 1910s until the mid 1930s. Many of the photographs that Pietzcker created were journalistic in nature, intended simply to document the important events, places, and individuals of the championship golf calendar. Most remarkable among Pietzcker’s works, however, are the photographic portraits he created of notable golfers of his day. “
With an acknowledged appreciation of golf greatness, Pietzcker made an exception from his standard subject matter and decided to photograph arguably the biggest name of the 1920s, Babe Ruth. The exact date of the photo session is unknown, but based on a study of Ruth’s face; I would guestimate the sitting to have taken place 1923-28 circa. Additionally, the photographer’s embossed studio marking, “George Pietzcker, 5646 Clemens Ave, St. Louis” was thought to have been his original studio address and used during the late 1910s through the 1920s. This can be confirmed by comparison to other original and period Pietzcker golf 16x20 prints that have sold bearing the same studio address
Displays moderate age toning with majority of wear confined edges with scattered small tears and chippings. Recently framed.
In sum, to our knowledge, this is the known Babe Ruth image originating from the George Pietzcker studios, and the largest Babe Ruth studio image known. MEARS LOA / Troy R. Kinunen MEARS
Collection of MEARS Staff