Lou Gehrig Ends Streak "Iron Horse" Signed Original Artwork by Lanning

Auction: June 2005

Home
Past Auctions
June 2005
Lou Gehrig

Consign Your Best Items with Lelands. We Also Pay Cash on the Spot! Learn More Here.

Lou Gehrig Ends Streak "Iron Horse" Signed Original Artwork by Lanning

Touching and profoundly rare and important original drawing by the famous Providence Journal cartoonist Frank Lanning using the image of a great but spent thoroughbred as a metaphor for the tragic end of Lou Gehrig's career was signed by the Iron Horse himself before his death. The pen and ink rendering depicts the beautiful but tired-eyed horse -- with "Gehrig" stenciled on its back -- leaning his head out of his barn, on which a paper is nailed listing Gehrig's many baseball records. Underneath is a 4-verse Lanning poem that begins "The Iron Horse has faltered/He did not choose to start/His record string is broken/But not his fighting heart." and ends, "If his campaign days are over/If he fails the starter's gun/The sporting world will drink this toast/'Columbia Lou, well done.'" Along the top left is the title of the work hand-written in blue pencil -- "Scratched...At His Request." A grateful Gehrig signed his name in the lower left quadrant in black ink, a crisp and clear Gehrig NRMT. Above this is an inscription and signature by Lannin and in the lower border are the notations "4 Col. Sports, Wed. Bull", editorial marks pursuant to the drawing being published in the paper. Actual image is 12 x 13 1/2", mounted under glass within a beautiful gold frame sized to 15 x 15". NRMT all around and one of the most unique Gehrig tribute pieces ever -- not to mention one of the most unique venues for the magical signature of this baseball god. Well done, indeed.