Lot # 2383: 1939 Lou Gehrig Day Luckiest Man Speech Original ACME Newspictures Photograph PSA/DNA Type I

On July 4, 1939, Lou Gehrig, with the knowledge that he was suffering from an incurable disease, delivered one of the most moving and memorable speeches in sports history when he stood in front of nearly 62,000 fans at Yankee Stadium and declared, "I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth." That speech took place at a special "Lou Gehrig Day" ceremony between games of a doubleheader between the Yankees and Senators, and was attended by many of Gehrig's former teammates, including Babe Ruth, who offered Gehrig an emotional embrace afterwards. This extraordinary original photograph captures a somber moment during that historic ceremony. The image shows Gehrig, head bowed, as he silently gazes upon the many gifts bestowed upon him by the Yankees, his teammates, and friends. Members of the Washington Senators can be seen in the background solemnly observing the ceremony. Interestingly, as memorable as that ceremony was, there are not a large number of photographs from that day that have survived, and of those that have, many were taken from the same perspective. REA has offered in the past a large-format photograph of Gehrig and manager Joe McCarthy taken at virtually the same time as this image from a different angle. This perspective, however, focuses on Gehrig, which makes it a much more poignant photograph, in our opinion. The photograph measures approximately 5.5 x 7.25 inches. In terms of clarity, it could not be any sharper. The reverse of the photograph bears an ACME Newspictures credit stamp along with several other production-related notations and two newspaper clippings neatly mounted to the back. The piece remains in Excellent to Near Mint condition overall. This is a remarkable and visually stunning original photograph of Lou Gehrig from one of the most memorable and significant events in sports history!