This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/11/2022
After Dizzy Dean won 30 games and led the Cardinals to victory in the 1934 World Series, the eccentric ace became the most sought after athlete for product endorsements. Dean’s likeness appeared on ads for everything from children’s underwear to paper kites. And while anything bearing Dean’s image is very desirable to collectors today, none are as visually attractive as his 1934 die cut Grape Nuts advertising display. The popular breakfast cereal produced several die cut advertising displays featuring Dean, however this version is by far the most complex and hardest to find today. Measuring 26" x 40", this colorful piece captures Dizzy Dean just as he releases a pitch, his right arm swinging around while his right leg juts high in the air behind him. A blue pennant with the Grape Nuts logo flies above Dean’s head and a stylized green baseball diamond ties the whole scene together. Rendered in the bold Art Deco style, Dean’s Grape Nuts display is among the finest examples of sports advertising. The piece shows some toning from age and there are several isolated areas along the edges where the surface color has been chipped or the corners rounded. Taking into consideration the age, large size and complicated die cuts, the condition of this advertising panel is quite remarkable. The panel has been professionally matted and framed to compliment the artwork. A truly stunning advertising display from baseball’s Golden Age.
Frame Measurement: 29.5"x43.5"