This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/5/2022
This Type I photograph captures history as it is about to be made: Jackie Robinson’s first major league game which shattered baseball’s color line forever. Wearing his new Dodgers uniform and clutching his mitt, Robinson gazes out past the photographer, his face showing the combination of uncertainty and hope he must have been feeling at that very moment. With Ebbets Field as the backdrop, this is one of the most important images of Jackie Robinson ever taken and one of the most important captions ever written.
The original International News Photos slug caption holds writing that takes on an emotional tone not seen on the majority of news service photos: “For now Jackie Robinson is a diving symbol of the defeat of prejudice, when he was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers, Jackie crashed an invisible, but powerful, barrier that had up to then kept any member of his race, no matter how skillful he might be, from performing on a Major League team. With Robinson’s first appearance as a member of the Dodgers at Ebbets Field, that barrier no longer exists.”
The image measures 5” by 7” and shows light toning. The reverse carries the International News Photo stamp along with notations and residue from the photo caption. The caption sheet shows toning from age with creasing from being folded as well as edge wear. The caption sheet has been removed (but included) from the back due to its tremendous oversize at 7” x 13” A true piece of history as it unfolded. The photograph has been encapsulated and graded Type I by PSA/DNA.