The 2009 Montreal Centennial Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/24/2009
A labor of love, this incredible lot includes 12 scrapbooks mostly filled with original autographs from countless former hockey players, including a number of Hall-of-Famers. These autographs - from the game's early days through the dawn of the expansion era - were collected by the consignor and his father, most of them obtained directly and through personal correspondence. An original Bill Barilko signature is a real highlight. The ill-fated Toronto defenceman has signed William Barilko in black ink fountain pen beneath the typed heading "W. Barilko" on a small piece of paper, likely cut from an autograph book. Barilko's signature is glued to the bottom of a page in a scrapbook designated as No. 2, filled with signatures from "Past Players, 1930 - Up" along with handwritten career highlights and statistics for each player. A water-stained page autographed by Dit Clapper, Mud Bruneteau, Flash Hollett and Herb Cain is among the loose items in this lot that are not mounted in the scrapbooks, along with individual signatures from Hap Day, Frank Selke Sr. and Frank Boucher, among others. The scrapbooks are filled with autographs from members of the Original Six, as well as players from defunct teams from the early days of the NHL and a variety of amateur and minor league pro teams. A variety of memorabilia has also been pasted onto the pages of the scrapbooks, including a 1926 program listing Eddie Shore in the Edmonton Eskimos' lineup. The signatures featured in these volumes range from the game's greats to one-shot wonders, with Doug Harvey, Bernie Geoffrion - who has signed Boom Boom Geoffrion in black ink, Jacques Plante, Jean Beliveau featured from the Canadiens, along with Johnny Gagnon, Wilf Cude, Marcel Bonin, Gus Rivers, Lorne Davis, Paul Bibeault, Gerry Plamondon, Tony Demers and Alex Smart, to name but a few. The signatures of Ace Bailey and shutout hero Frank McCool, the star of the 1945 playoffs, are other Maple Leafs highlight, along with autographs from Harold Darragh, Pete Langelle, Jim Thomson, Joe Klukay, Ross Johnstone, Tod Sloan and Reg Hamilton. Red Wings of note include Ted Lindsay Tony Leswick,, Harry Lumley, Johnny Wilson, Howie Young, Jimmy Orlando, Carl Liscombe, Metro Prystai, Dutch Reibel and Max McNab, while the Bruins are represented by Frank Brimsek, Frank Fredrickson, Cooney Weiland, Bob Bauer, Milt Schmidt, Mel Hill, Bronco Horvath and Leo Labine. Lynn Patrick, Bun Cook and Dave Kerr stand out as Rangers, along with Red Sullivan, Billy Moe, Bob Dill and Vic Howe, Gordie's brother. Black Hawks of note include Mike Karakas, John Mariucci, Bill Gadsby, Virgil Johnson, Joe Bretto, Rudy Pilous, Al Rollins and Eric Nesterenko. Jimmy Wards blue ink signature adorns a vintage Montreal Forum program Sweet Caporal ad and another scrapbook page is dedicated to other Maroons autographs. A number of U.S. Hall-of-Famers are featured in the scrapbooks, which feature way too many original signatures to list here. These unique and very personal scrapbooks offer a treasure trove of original hockey autographs encompassing the early history of the game.
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