Historical Hockey Memorabilia Auction Fall 2021
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/26/2021
Rounding out the prestigious Ralph Hansch Edmonton Mercurys and 1952 Olympic Games collection, we offer a number of items from his personal collection including photos, programs, a scrapbook, art work, Olympic goblet and Mercurys handkerchief. Included, we have a Mercurys congratulatory dinner program from April 1, 1952 (5” x 8”), five assorted Mercurys programs from exhibition games vs European clubs before and after the 1952 Olympic Games, an Esso booklet from 1952 picturing the Mercurys and Hansch, a typed Mercurys team song affixed to paper along with a small photo of Hansch, a 1952 Olympic review publication (8 ½” x 11 ½”), two 1952 Olympic magazines, artwork of Hansch with “Milano” dated 1952 (two different, 10” x 14” each), a matted reproduction photo of the Mercurys with 8 signing the matte (15" x 18"), and a mounted caricature photo of the Mercurys from 1952 (12” x 14”). The photos total 24, with most in the 8” x 10” range or smaller, with four framed, along with two large framed displays. One display features a trio of mounted Mercurys photos that appear to be later copies, with one photo team-signed by the Mercurys (18” x 28”), while the other display includes a pair of matted newspaper articles from the time of Hansch’s death in 2008 (25” x 31”). An LOA from the family of Ralph Hansch will accompany this large grouping of desirable material.
First, the Olympic goblet is electroplated brass at 7” in height with an engraved Olympic logo, “Primrose Plate” and “429” stamped to the underside, with even tarnishing throughout, with the presumably original Birks box included. The Handkerchief is approx 8” x 9” with a photographic image of the Mercurys, and “1952 Olympic Games Canada” at the base, with light wear including fold lines. The programs and dinner menu show light to moderate handling wear, while the larger Olympic review and magazines show heavy wear with damage. The artwork also shows wear to each and no damage, while the scrapbook is filled with period newspaper clippings. The matted reproduction photo has been signed by John Davies, Billie Dawe, Bob Meyers, Bruce Dickson, Eric Paterson, Billy Gibson, Louis Secco and Don Gauf, while the display with team-signed photo has been signed by 14 including Hansch, along with Watt, Paterson, Dickson, Dawes, Meyers, Gibson, Gauf, Ford and a few others. Of the 24 aforementioned photos, 17 feature the Olympics and Edmonton Mercurys including game-action, arriving home at the Edmonton Airport, an image of the opening ceremonies and more, while the remaining images include Ralph’s time with the Camrose Maroons and Edmonton Cloverdale intermediate clubs with team photos, as well as images preceding his time with the Mercurys. Most of the photos show moderate to heavier expected wear.
Added to the Olympic roster just months before the Games which took place in Oslo in February of 1952, Ralph Hansch backstopped the Edmonton Mercurys who represented Canada to the gold medal, and is noteworthy as the only netminder in Olympic history to wear the number “0” jersey. The Mercurys has previously gone undefeated representing Canada at the 1950 World Championships, and immediately after their epic tie with the US that allowed the maple leaf to capture gold at the 1952 Games, the Mercurys also won the inaugural Ahearne Cup tournament in Stockholm, Sweden. From the personal collection of Mr Ralph Hansch who passed away in 2008 at the age of 83, we have a number of important treasures and keepsakes from his time with the Mercurys in 1952 including an extremely rare puck used during the Olympic Games, his glove, skates and chest protector also used at the Games as well as his Olympic blazer and Mercurys jacket, and much more!
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