Presented here is a spectacular original action photograph of USA Track & Field legend Jesse Owens aboard the S.S. Manhattan on his way to the 1936 Berlin Summer Games. Of course, we know what transpired: a record-setting four Olympic gold medals in the face of Hitler’s Third Reich regime and a performance synonymous with athletic perfection.
On July 15, 1936, the massive, 705-foot ocean liner left New York Harbor with over 300 U.S. Olympians on board, arriving in Hamburg, Germany, a few weeks later. While on board, many athletes had no other option but to practice on the top deck. This majestic shot captures Owens in his U.S. Olympic uniform practicing the long jump somewhere in the Atlantic, his sculpted body in full flight perfectly centered in the frame. Less than three months after establishing four world records at the Big Ten Championship meet (all in a span of just 45 minutes), Owens won individual gold in the long jump, 100 meters and 200 meters before leading the U.S. to victory in the 4 x 100-meter relay for Olympic gold medal number four.
The pinpoint resolution of this image separates it from other Owens photos from the era. Whoever snapped it was able to even get Jesse's shadow on the lower right in perfect symmetry. Aside from a tiny (1 cm) tear on the lower left side (reinforced with tape on the back) and corner wear on the upper left, the photo remains in wonderful condition for its age. The reverese is stamped and dated by the Associated Press. We’ve never seen this image before and it very well could be the only known example.
DATE/YEAR/ERA: July 27, 1936
GENERATION: First (original negative)
ISSUER:Associated Press
CAPTIONED: No
DIMS: 7” x 9”
Encapsulated by PSA/DNA, Type I