An unknown buyer recently paid an astonishing $1.47 million for an autographed photo of legendary outfielder Shoeless Joe Jackson. The item immediately became the most expensive signed sports photograph in the history of sports memorabilia.
The photo was offered for auction by Christie’s and Hunt on Thursday (Oct.7) and was initially valued between $200K and $400K. But the rarity of the piece and story surrounding Jackson ended up driving the price further up than anyone expected.
This is believed to be the only autographed photo of Shoeless Joe Jackson in existence and was branded as “Unique Surviving Example” by the grading company PSA. It was taken by photographer Frank W. Smith in Alexandria, Louisiana, in March 1911, according to the official auction description. The item was most recently offered at auction in 2015 when it fetched $179,250.
Shoeless Joe Jackson was one of baseball’s biggest stars in the early 1900s, playing for the Philadelphia Athletics, the Cleveland Naps/Indians, and the Chicago White Sox. He received a lifetime ban from MLB in 1921 after being accused of accepting bribes alongside several of his teammates and throwing the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds in the 1919 season.
Another reason why Jackson’s signed memorabilia is expensive is the fact that he was almost illiterate and avoided signing things. But this is also why there are always questions surrounding the authenticity of these items.
For example, expert Ron Keurajian, the author of Baseball Hall of Fame Autographs: A Reference Guide, claims there are no photographs signed by Jackson that are genuine and strongly believes the signature on the photo from Alexandria might be fake.
“Here’s a guy who was illiterate, but he can write ‘Alexandria’ on the photograph?”, Keurajian said when asked about the photo by Cox Media Group. “And for those who believe Frank Smith wrote ‘Alexandria’ on the photo, so, he wrote it in the same hand as Jackson’s? That seems highly unlikely.”
