Original Francis Burke photograph of Cubs star infielder Heinie Zimmerman, circa 1911, used in the production of Zimmerman's 1914/1915 Cracker Jack cards. Zimmerman is pictured in a batting stance as he poses in the outfield. Original photos used in the production of trade cards, especially popular issues such as 1914/1915 Cracker Jack, have always been coveted by collectors, and this is a superb example. It should be noted that the original glass negative that produced this very photo (along with many other Burke original negatives used for Cracker Jack cards), is offered elsewhere in this auction. Zimmerman was one of the game's top hitters during the early teens and in 1912 won the Triple Crown by virtue of his league-leading totals in batting average (.372), home runs (14), and RBI (104). He also led the league that year in hits (207), doubles (47), and slugging percentage (.571). He finished his 13-year career (1907-1919) with a .295 lifetime average. 

Francis P. Burke (1871-1949) was a prominent Chicago newspaper photographer whose work ranged far beyond baseball. He took thousands of images of immigrant life in Chicago and, in 1912, opened a photo studio with Henry A. Atwell (1879-1949), known as Burke & Atwell, that specialized in theatrical, magazine, and newspaper images. Sometime prior to 1929, Burke severed his partnership with Atwell and opened another studio known as Burke & Koretke. Burke had been the Cubs official photographer in the early 1900s but was later replaced by George Burke (in a story that has been told many times, and which may be apocryphal, Burke lost his job as Cubs photographer simply because a Cubs employee couldn't remember his first name and mistakenly confused him with George Burke). Nevertheless, he was still a frequent visitor to the ballpark and between the approximate years 1909 to 1916, Burke earned extra income by selling his baseball images to various Chicago-based businesses, including Rueckheim Bros. & Eckstein (Cracker Jack), Max Stein, Novelty Cutlery, Crystal Pure Candy Co., Carl Joseph & Co. (tailors), Royal Tailors, and Irwin Howe's Baseball Correspondence League of America, which published a "Pitching Course." To baseball collectors, Burke’s images are ubiquitous and instantly recognizable. Despite the range and relative scarcity of his work, his baseball images are arguably among the best of the deadball era.

Both Zimmerman's and Burke's name are written on the reverse in pencil. The crystal-clear photo measures 8x10" and displays light creasing. Very Good to Excellent condition. PSA encapsulated as a Type I Authentic.