Provenance & Pedigree

These fantastic glossy photographs were originally thought by the last owner to be nothing more than constituents of an 8x10 “obscure team-issued photo set.”  In reality, these 62 pictures, including 51 which are autographed in fountain pen, are actually all original Type 1 photographs taken between the 1943 and 1945 seasons for the Philadelphia Eagles by the team photographer.

There are three primary facts that assist in verifying this provenance.  First, some of the photographs are stamped on the back “Philadelphia Eagles Football Club, 22 South 17th Street, Philadelphia 3, PA,” indicating original team ownership. Second, every photograph is hand etched neatly on the front with the original white ink and includes the name of the player, followed by the player’s position, team, and year.  Third, these photographs appear to be the source from which all subsequent images were made. As such, the other reproductions are often cropped and some include the same notations in white ink.

In addition to the JSA “Auction House Letter of Authenticity,” this is a Type 1 autographed photograph with a solid pedigree and supporting provenance.

Dating Each Original Photograph

All of the images have “Eagles” and “45” except Art Macioszczyk and Tom Miller.  Both players had been members of the team in 1944 and were two of the 32 invitees who reported to Philadelphia Eagles training camp at West Chester State Teacher’s College in Pennsylvania on August 19, 1945.  Subsequent to starting camp and before the 1945 season started, Art Macioszczyk joined the United States Army while Tom Miller was traded to The Washington Redskins.  That is the reason that the photographer wrote “44” on the photographs of these two players.

The majority of the pictures were taken during the 1944 & 1945 pre-season camps.  Notably, a more cropped version of the Jack Sanders photograph was sent out as a wire photo on August 21, 1945.  Jack Sanders, pictured blocking teammate George Fritts, made national news as the first disabled World War II veteran signed to an NFL Contract.

There are also a handful of photographs that are dated 1943 on the back and feature uniforms and players on the 1943 Phil-Pitt Steagles, which was a merger of the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers due to the World War II player shortage.  These were 1943 photographs that showcased players who subsequently made the 1945 final roster and were therefore labeled as being from “45.”  This is also true of one of the Jack Hinkle photographs, where he is shown in another uniform.

Description:

This is 8 3/16 inches by 10 inches with some normal handing defects and has a technical condition of Very Good Plus with great visual appeal.  It is signed by Charlie Gauer who played for the Phil-Pitt Steagles in 1943 and the Philadelphia Eagles in 1944 & 1945.  This is beautifully autographed in blue fountain pen with great placement. Autographed by Charlie Gauer who was a college gridiron star who matriculated at Colgate as a Red Raider before a professional career which included coaching the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1950s and 1960s.  Until now, a period fountain pen signed photo of Charlie Gauer was nearly non-existent.  


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