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Circa: 1934
Condition: Used
Country of Origin: United States
Manufacturer: Unmarked
This drawing is of all-time Great, Honus Wagner, who is depicted here in two images - as Shortstop and Coach of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Considered by many to be the greatest shortstop of all time, Wagner (b.1874 -d.1955), played for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1900 to 1917. He coached the team from 1933 to 1951.
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A combination of his speed and his name earned him the nickname, "The Flying Dutchman". Wagner was one of the Baseball Hall of Fame's five original inductees in 1936, along with Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb. The drawing measures 11.5" x 12.5". It was signed by Wagner while he was a coach, in 1934 or '35.
This piece has an interesting story. The artist (my father) was in the stands, just beside the dugout, asking for Wagner. Instead, a player offered to pass the drawing to his coach. Wagner autographed it with a black ink pen, then noticed he had signed in the wrong place (My dad would leave a white space or make a ‘box’ for the player’s signature), and partly on top of his black jacket. And so the old man did the right thing – he signed it again! The first signature shows 2/3 of the autograph (on close inspection the entire signature can be seen). The second signature is on the upper leg and is bold and clean.
The artist was my father, Arthur Haas, who lived in New York City until 1938. A commercial artist by trade and a huge sports fan, he would render the player's action pose in charcoal and pen & ink and then label the drawings by hand with the player’s position and team name. When a team would come to town he'd take his artwork to the game and seek out the subject for an autograph, whether in the dugout or in the locker room. This piece was done on heavy weight drawing paper, and may have been sprayed with a fixatif. It is signed and dated by my dad. We are pricing this as if it were an autographed 8 x 10 photo, since my dad was an unknown artist, but we are also taking into consideration the two period signatures and the backstory. Although, unlike sports cards or photographs, this is unique and one-of-a-kind!
The autograph has not and will not be ‘certified’. This would require my sending it away so it can be looked over with a loupe, only to be told what I already know – that it is authentic. Any buyer will have two weeks to have the autograph certified if they desire it. And as always, your purchase may be returned for any reason for a full refund. This item will be shipped flat by Priority Mail, UPS, or FedEx. Insurance will be required. |
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