Presented here is an important original Type I photograph of the great Irvine “Ace” Bailey dating to the early 1930’s. In fact, this is the same image used to produce Bailey’s 1933 O-Pee-Chee card #13 from the revered Canadian candy company’s first ever hockey card issue.
The star right winger played eight seasons for the Toronto Maple Leafs, beginning in 1926, before a tragic incident ended his playing career—and nearly his life. On Dec. 12, 1933, Bailey was checked from behind by the Bruins’ Eddie Shore, fracturing his skull when his head hit the ice. He went into a coma for over a week and did recover, but never played professionally again. When the Leafs retired Bailey’s #6 sweater shortly thereafter, Ace became not just the first NHL player, but the first in professional sports history to have his jersey number retired. He was voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1975.
The iconic black and white image of Bailey posing with his stick fully outfitted in his Maple Leafs uniform measures approx. 7½” by 9¼” with some brown spotting and a few surface scratches. The top right corner has torn off and it appears to have been slightly cut down to size on three sides/edges. Overall, it remains in very good shape for its age. The reverse has three date stamps—the earliest being 1/11/1932—and some editorial notes. Trading card prototype images, especially those off the original negative like this one, are heavily coveted nowadays, and here is another fine example. Encapsulated Type I by PSA/DNA.