A Babe Ruth photograph, autographed and inscribed to an orphanage, is up for bid at RR Auction and comes with a personal connection for the baseball legend.
Made out to “the boys and good Sisters at Nazareth House” and signed by Ruth, the promotional photograph used for the 1942 film "Pride of the Yankees” offers a tie to Ruth’s own childhood. The Yankees legend was sent at age 7 to an orphanage in Baltimore and spent most of his childhood there.
Though little direct ties between Ruth and the Nazareth House orphanage are known, a 2022 auction listing for a Type 1 photo at SCP Auctions provides clues.
The image depicts Ruth surrounded by children and signing baseballs for the group. In the listing, which sold for $1,050, SCP identifies the kids as “orphaned boys from the Nazareth House of North Hollywood” and says they met Ruth “upon his arrival to Los Angeles for the filming of ‘The Pride of the Yankees’,” soon joining him for breakfast and “scores” of autographed baseballs.
With nearly a month left at auction, the image has already exceeded its estimate of $4,000.
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct.