Historical Hockey and Sports Memorabilia Auction June 2024
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/26/2024
Born in Quebec City in the early portion of The Great Depression, Camille Henry would play his junior hockey as a member of the Quebec Citadelles of the Quebec Junior Hockey League, Henry would step into the bright lights of Manhattan and the rest of New York City beginning in the 1953-54 regular season and would go on to a National Hockey League career that would span a total of 727 games over the course of fourteen (14) years in the league, spending twelve (12) of them in a Rangers uniform while also enjoying short stays in Chicago and St. Louis as well. A Calder Cup champion in 1956 and selected to NHL All-Star Games' in 1958, 1963 and 1964, Henry would win the Lady Byng Trophy in 1958 and be ranked at number twenty-one (21) in the 2009 book "100 Ranger Greats" out of the 901 New York Rangers who had played during the team's first 82 seasons. Passing away in 1997 at the age of 64 years old, offered here is this Rangers sweater worn by Henry during the period of the early-1960s.
A classic wool tie-neck style offering dating to the era of the "Original Six" and the golden years of the National Hockey League, the cream coloured garment made by Gerry Cosby sports both Cosby's and size "46" labeling attached inside the left side of the reverse hem. Of note, the Cosby's label lists their address as being 12 West 48th Street in New York City. This location closed in 1959 when the business moved to 825 8th Avenue at corner of 8th Avenue and 50th Street which was the corner of Madison Square Garden. Recently uncovered and a hobby fresh example, the original lace is style fed through the eyelets of the collar while the front of the jersey is decorated with the traditional "Rangers" going diagonally down the chest in dual layer blue-over-red drop-shadow tackle twill letters. Styled over the sleeves and verso with the number "21" that was worn by Henry throughout the entirety of his tenure with the Rangers, the numbers on the sleeves have been done in single layer blue twill numerals while the ones on the reverse are numbers matching the style of the letters spelling "Rangers" on the front. Of note, it is the numbers on the sleeves that help us date the sweater, with these small numbers placed higher up towards the shoulder yoke been seen on Rangers jerseys from 1959-60 to 1962-63. Also showing the ghostly shadow of a once applied alternate captain's "A" over the left breast, team photos show Henry as wearing an "A" in the 1959-60, 1960-61 and 1961-62 seasons but not in 1962-63. Additionally, the September 1962 issue of Sport Revue pictures Henry over the cover in a Rangers jersey that sports the "A" but in an image of him that is found over the front cover of the included issue of The Hockey News from March 23, 1963, showing him scoring on Don Simmons of the Maple Leafs, he is not wearing the "A" on his jersey at that time.
Void of any sort of fight strap on the interior of the jersey but showing some pilling in the commonly seen areas, excellent game-wear is observed throughout the entirety of the piece, including approximately sixteen (16) beautifully done team repairs strewn throughout the sleeves, front and reverse by our count as well as many stick marks, a couple of light coloured board paint transfers and a couple of small unrepaired holes. Additionally, some spot stains are present throughout, largely over both sleeves/cuffs. One of the nicest wool offerings we have handled in recent memory, don't miss out on this beauty from a bygone era of the National Hockey League and the Original Six.
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