Over the course of his career, Lou Gehrig’s image was carefully curated to depict the ballplayer as a reserved, clean-living man, devoted to his mother and wife. And while Gehrig lived up to that ideal for the most part, that isn’t to say he eschewed all vices, as this candid type 1 photograph shows. Titled on the reverse as “Lou Gehrig after the game,” the photo shows the Hall of Famer at his locker after one of the 1937 World Series games at the Polo Grounds. Gehrig, who hit .294 with one homer as the Yanks beat the Giants in 5 games, is relaxing with a cigarette and a drink.
While it cannot be determined what it is Gehrig is knocking back, it appears to be a beer. Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert was the brewer of Knickerbocker Beer, and indeed, one of the Yankees traditions after a World Series win during this era was for the coaches to lead the team in a rousing rendition of “Roll Out the Barrel.” Regardless of what Gehrig is imbibing, this photograph allows us a glimpse into one of Lou’s private moments as he allows himself to relax after a World Series victory.
The photo measures 6-1/2” x 8-1/2” and shows light toning from age. The reverse shows a date stamp of “10.14.37” which makes it likely this was snapped after Game 5 which gave the Yankees their 6th World Championship. Various stampings are present including Acme News Pictures and there are numerous pencil notations present. The photograph has been encapsulated and graded Type 1 by PSA.