Historical Hockey Memorabilia Auction Fall 2018
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/6/2018
Rebuilding and poised for growth after the devastating conflagration that left over 10,000 homeless in 1871, Chicago has always had a bustling sporting community, with baseball at the forefront, with amateur clubs and their diamond exploits a fixture in The Windy City since the 1850s. The Canadian game of hockey was also well-embraced early-on along the shores of Lake Michigan, with the Black Hawks one of the oldest and most venerated competing clubs in the NHL. Seeing active duty in Chicagoland a mere decade after Prohibition was repealed, we have an especially scarce Chicago Black Hawks wool sweater that served as an “alternate” in its day, circa mid-1940s.
Visually appealing with it’s simplistic but aesthetically pleasing design, the collar is void of any tagging, with a label from prominent maker Wilson along with a “44” size tag affixed to the inside seam. Matching the label on the 1946 Bill Mosienko “barber pole” sweater we sold previously, the wool treasure feature’s “14” in oversized, solid black numbers with red trim over both the front and verso, with an intricate multi-coloured felt Indian head placed over the upper left sleeve. Solid red bands have also been utilized over the waist, shoulders and cuffs, with additional black and red striping accents over each upper sleeve. Possibly donned originally by Johnny Gottselig (1943-44 and 1944-45) or Alex Kaleta (1945-46), this rare Chicago specimen would be a wonderful addition to any superior Black Hawks, vintage wool or Original Six collection.
As previously mentioned, the rare-style sweater was used infrequently throughout the era by the Black Hawks, with the “barber poll” sweaters seeing regular duty. With just a few minor and faint stains over the lower front, the sleeves and verso remain fairly clean, with small holes visible near the right cuff and just above the lower front band. There is also a large team repair over the chest, between the numbers. Other Black Hawks who wore the number “14” during the era include Doug Bentley (1940-41), Joe Papike (9 games in 1941-42), George "Wingy" Johnston (2 games in 1941-42), Leo Carbol (6 games in 1942-43) and Bert Olmstead (1949-50).
By clicking this button, you will IMMEDIATELY bid the amount selected.
By clicking this button, you will submit this amount as your MAXIMUM (absentee) bid. The auction software will place bids on your behalf up to this amount only as it is bid against competitively by other bidder(s).