Historical Hockey Memorabilia Auction Fall 2019
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/5/2019
The Lady Byng Trophy winner in 1939 and 1944, Clint Smith won a Stanley Cup championship with the Blueshirts in 1940, and is ranked No. 35 on the all-time list of New York Rangers in the book 100 Ranger Greats. Originating from the incomparable autograph collection of E. Robert Hamlyn, we have a vintage photo signed by the Assiniboia native, along with approx 16 members of the 1951-52 Cincinnati Mohawks. At 8” x 10”, the glossy stock print depicts the star in game-action during his time in Chicago, with Smith signing over the bottom right, along with the additional signatures placed in a single column over the upper left. Elected to the HOF in 1991, Smith would pass at the age of 95, in 2009.
The remaining signers include Francis, O’Connor, MacIntosh, Schwartz, McLeod, Harrison, Masnick, Brown, Webster, Irwin, Stanowski, Barlow, Lancien, Brklacich, Eddolls and one other. The Smith signature is flawless, with a personalization added, with the remaining signatures that have been placed over the darker portions of the photo somewhat hard to read. The photo itself exhibits a number of surface wrinkles along with toning and corner wear, with typed text over the reverse along with a handwritten notation.
The E. Robert Hamlyn Hockey HOFers Signed Photo and Letter Collection
Beginning life as the passion of one youth growing up in Newfounland during the late-1930s, E. R. Hamlyn was bitten by the collecting bug as a teenager, and began to seek out the signatures of both contemporary and past hockey stars, with his efforts culminating in the world class collection of signed photos and letters that encompass his incomparable autograph collection, with many unique items and extremely rare signatures making up the vast collection.
Through effective letter writing, first to teams, and then when information was received, directly to the players themselves, Hamlyn would request the addressed parties sign a photo he himself would provide, with the overwhelming majority honouring the enthusiastic collector’s wishes. And enamored with the uniforms of both the Montreal Maroons and New York Americans – despite never seeing these teams play in person, Hamlyn had the foresight to seek out the signatures of past retired stars from long forgotten and defunct franchises. The insightful collector also recorded information now invaluable to his collection, with most of the signed letters and photos having dates listed when they were received back signed.
Numerous early Hall of Fame legends make up the one-of-a-kind gathering including signed photos from Dick Irvin, Steamer Maxwell, Frank Patrick, Clint Benedict, Alec Connell, Duke Keats, Frank Foyston, Moose Goheen and others, along with signed letters from Dickie Boon, Harry Hyland, Jack Marshall, Jack Ruttan, Joe Malone, George Hainsworth, Aurele Joliat, Cy Denneny and others. Impossible to duplicate, this is unequivocally the greatest autograph collection that we have handled in our 25 years of service to the collecting community.
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