A 1911 rookie image of Grover Cleveland Alexander. We know this image is from 1911 visually by the black crepe armband worn on his left sleeve, such armband was worn in 1911 by the Philadelphia Phillies in honor of their club vice-president Frank Elliot who passed away that year.

We also know it is 1911 based on the fact this image appeared in the July 30, 1911 edition of The Chicago Tribune. This exact image was also used in the July 17, 1930 edition of The Chicago Tribune in a “Then and Now” piece. Note the publication date stamp on the newspaper clipping attached to the back of our photo. It is likely this print was used in 1911 for the original article, was stored in the Tribune archives and was mounted and the background painted black for the 1930 article. Note the penciled inscription “From..Chi Trib” on the back referencing the print’s origin. Later The Ring Inc. and Culver Pictures stamps are also on the back of the mount.

All in all, a fascinating bit of publishing history demonstrating how these images were working pieces that served for decades. Despite the ravishes of time, his image is all the more interesting for its provenance and publication use.