Historical Hockey Memorabilia Auction Winter 2020
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/26/2020
Coaching the Winnipeg Falcons to an Allan Cup championship and Olympic gold medal after his legendary playing days, Fred “Steamer” Maxwell was an advocate of the purity of the game, refusing to turn pro and be paid despite numerous lucrative offers. Seeking to sign Maxwell as coach of the Maple Leafs in 1931, Conn Smythe opted for Dick Irvin instead, as Maxwell insisted on a three-year contract. Originating from the incomparable autograph collection of E. Robert Hamlyn, we have an exceedingly rare typed letter signed by the Winnipeg legend. At 8” x 10” and executed on his “F.G. Maxwell Company LTD” letterhead, the Feb 6, 1967 communication has Maxwell mentioning a recent visit to Winnipeg from a Russian hockey team, and his TV appearance explaining the game, both “in the past and at the present moment”. The signature has been administered in blue ballpoint, and it displays beautifully. Honoured with HOF enshrinement in 1962, Steamer would pass at the age of 85, in 1975.
The letter remains in beautiful condition, sporting a single fold line along with punched holes over the top section for binder insertion.
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 Sylvio Mantha, George Hainsworth, King Clancy, Cecil "Babe" Dye, George "Buck" Boucher, Jack Ruttan, Barney Stanley, "Bullet" Joe Simpson and others, along with signed letters from Ernie "Moose" Johnson, Ernie Russell, George McNamara, Jack Marshall, Dickie Boon 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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