So the story goes, legendary shutterbug George Burke got the job of Cubs official photographer through a case of mistaken identity, having been contacted by the team in 1929 when they intended to reach their long-term regular photographer Francis Burke! Benefiting from Chicago's two ballparks—one in each league—Burke (later with his partner George Brace) set about photographing every single MLB player for decades. This may well be the most famous George Burke portrait photo of them all, taken early on during a quiet, intimate moment with Lou Gehrig at the tail end of his playing days. The Luckiest Man musters a winning smile despite his weakening strength and skills due to the degenerative disease that would eventually bear his name. Burke's studio-quality, heavy-stock photo features elegant rounded corners, white margins, and his Belmont Ave. copyright stamp on the reverse. As a point of reference on value, it's noteworthy that a small 4x6 version sold at auction in 2020 for over $2,500. This rare larger style—which has also been seen, far less desirably, with Eleanor Gehrig's signature from after Lou's death—is a magnificent beauty in every way. Sparkling NM condition. Encapsulated as Type I Authentic by PSA.