Displayed is a circa 1929 Charles Conlon photograph of baseball player E.E. Swanson, signed on back by Conlon, the renowned sports photographer. Conlon was a proofreader at the New York Telegram newspaper in 1904 when his editor had an idea for Conlon - that he take his Graflex single-lens camera out to New York City's ballparks and shoot the Major League players. Conlon became one of the first photographers to regularly shoot baseball games. He remained relatively anonymous until 1990, when over 8,000 of his photos were discovered in morgues of The Sporting News. Conlon's wonderful photos seem to have a recurring motif: That of creating a visual portrait that humanized the photographed players by drawing attention to the player's facial expression. The player in the photo is E.E. Swanson, an outfielder who played for the Cincinnati Reds in 1927-30 and the Chicago White Sox in 1932-34. Swanson is wearing a Cincinnati Reds uniform. In the posed photo, true to Conlon's technique of emphasizing player facial expressions, Swanson is sporting a broad grin as he poses as a player sliding into third base. Swanson had terrific speed, reportedly being timed in 13.3 or 13.4 seconds (accounts vary) while circling the bases between games of a double-header. Swanson batted .303 for his MLB career. He was previously a back in the NFL with three different teams.
The black & white photo measures 6.5x8.5". Although not officially designated as such, we believe that the Conlon photo is a Type I. On back is stamped The Cleveland News/Research Department/Cleveland, Ohio" and "SEP 1 1929." In red editing pencil, an unknown hand has printed "E. E. SWANSON (CINCINNATI)." Also, on back, again written in red editing pencil, Conlon added "photo." The offering has been encapsulated, and Conlon's signature has been PSA/DNA Certified "AUTHENTIC AUTO." The photo has a few very small "blisters" and some very slight darkening, but it is still in very good condition.
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