Cool Gehrig Autograph

nightcrawler729

Here's a cool story that happened to my friend. His mother passed away after a long battle with Lou Gehrig's Disease, and he had always been involved in several charitable organizations dedicated to finding a cure. Recently one of them had an auction, and one of the items for sale was a Lou Gehrig plaque that actually contained two authentic Gehrig autographs (one of which is exceptionally clean). Due to the economy being a bit sluggish lately, there were no bidders, so he was able to get it at a minimum price. Obviously, this has great sentimental value for him, but I saw the plaque and it is a wonderful autograph of Gehrig...

Gehrig Plaque

Cldroescher

How much did he purchase it for?

HeritageAddict

Very Nice!

MeteoriteGuy

Very cool. I really that the "action" Gehrig photo.

killingdream

Outstanding display! What is the signed letter about?

sbtrailrider

<< <i>Outstanding display! What is the signed letter about? >>



About two paragraphs long...

Ironmanfan

i'd get them authenticated by PSA/DNA since it is widely well known that Eleanor Gehrig signed a lot for her husband (particularly letters)

nightcrawler729

I don't think he paid that much for them, but I'll ask.

Here's a closeup of the letter:



It says

July 27, 1939

Dear Mr Riog,

Your wife has very kindly written me telling me that you have the same ailment I have.

I hope this letter finds your mental outlook happy and hopeful. We should bear in mind that medical science makes great discoveries every year, and perhaps some day soon they will develop a specific treatment for this particular disease.

Meanwhile, best of luck to you.

Cordially yours,
Lou Gehrig

PoppaJ

<< <i>i'd get them authenticated by PSA/DNA since it is widely well known that Eleanor Gehrig signed a lot for her husband (particularly letters) >>



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According to the following article, you're probably right about Eleanor Gehrig signing this particular document for her ailing husband.

..... "Lou Gehrig was one of the most talented baseball players of all time; yet he is also remembered for ALS, the disease that took his life and still bears his name as its eponym. There is speculation about when his symptoms began. Some authorities believe that Gehrig showed signs of ALS when he starred in the film Rawhide in January 1938, which would mean that he played the entire 1938 season with symptomatic ALS. Additionally, some photographs of Gehrig showing atrophy of hand muscles have been dated incorrectly because of misinterpreted logos on his uniform. We examined the film and photos taken of Gehrig from 1937 to 1939 to determine whether he showed signs of weakness in the film and when visible evidence of ALS could be documented. Specific scenes from Rawhide were chosen to grade Gehrig’s motor function using the ALS Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS). Dates of photos and uniform logos were verified with the Baseball Hall of Fame. Examination of Rawhide showed that Gehrig functioned normally in January 1938. His ALSFRS score, modified to account for limitations of on-screen activities, was normal. The New York Yankees wore logos in 1938 that were labeled with the year 1939 to advertise the 1939 World’s Fair; the uniforms displayed a centennial patch during the 1939 season. A photograph of Gehrig from October 1939 showed hand atrophy. Photos from the spring of 1938 showed normal hand muscles and leg function, implying that visible signs first appeared after May 1938."

PoppaJ

mbothner

Be prepared to pay a $200 authentication fee to PSA. I sent in a Gehrig autographed photo for someone whose dad got back in the 1930's. PSA said it was a secretary autograph or something like that. PSA could be right since the autograph was not obtained in person even though is was personalized.

Ironmanfan

Eleanor was able to reproduce a 'signature' very similar to Lou's (not done with any intent to harm nor deceive, moreso to just assist with the volume of mail he rec'd).

divecchia

That is one awesome Gehrig piece.

Thanks for showing it...Donato

nightcrawler729

Thanks for everyone's input and comment. Although the picture doesn't show it well - there seems to be another autograph contained within the plaque - it is on the 1929 schedule...I just asked if this came with a COA.