Lot # 2559: Notre Dame "Four Horsemen" Signed Photograph - PSA/DNA

Vintage photograph of Notre Dame's fabled "Four Horsemen" - Harry Stuhldreher, Don Miller, Elmer Layden, and Jim Crowley - signed by each member in black fountain pen across the thick cardboard backing to which this photo is affixed. Miller has also signed the photo across his image and paired his signature with the salutation "Best Wishes." The "Four Horsemen" moniker was coined by New York sportswriter Grantland Rice in his famous description of Notre Dame's 13-7 upset victory over Army on October 18, 1924, at the Polo Grounds: Outlined against a blue, gray October sky the Four Horsemen rode again. In dramatic lore they are known as famine, pestilence, destruction and death. These are only aliases. Their real names are: Stuhldreher, Miller, Crowley and Layden. They formed the crest of the South Bend cyclone before which another fighting Army team was swept over the precipice at the Polo Grounds this afternoon as 55,000 spectators peered down upon the bewildering panorama spread out upon the green plain below. While that paragraph remains one of the most often-quoted passages in all of sports journalism, it took an idea by Knute Rockne's student publicity aide, George Stickler, to truly immortalize the quartet. When they returned to Notre Dame after the Army game, Stickler had the four pose together in uniform, each sitting astride a horse that he borrowed from the local livery stable. When the wire services picked up the photo, the legendary status of the "Four Horsemen" was assured. After graduation, all four players enjoyed successful collegiate coaching careers and were eventually elected to the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame. Despite the passage of time, the legend of the "Four Horsemen" has never faded from the public's imagination. The photo (13 x 10 inches) displays scattered creasing and staple holes along the perimeter. Multiple spots of paper loss are present, with a few filled in with added color. The cardboard backing (15 x 15 inches, visible dimensions) is also affixed with an oval-shaped cardboard plaque that reads "Famous 'Four Horsemen of Notre Dame.' Miller - Stuhldreher - Crowley - Layden. 1924." Matted and framed to total dimensions of 22 x 22 inches. Full LOA from PSA/DNA. The size/weight of this item requires that there will be an additional shipping charge for this lot.