This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/4/2017
Starting his career as a photographer in 1927 with the Milwaukee Sentinel newspaper, Frank Stanfield worked in Milwaukee for over 40 years. During his award winning career, he worked for the Milwaukee Brewers / Borchert Field (AAA), Green Bay Packers at Milwaukee State Fair, and the early Milwaukee Braves at County Stadium. His work appeared on card sets, programs, and yearbooks. He won the 1961 Life Magazine “Best Sports Picture” for one of his Milwaukee Braves entries.
MEARS company president purchased a very rare, exclusive collection of Frank Stanfield’s personal 4”x6” oversized acetate negatives direct from the family estate. Using the same printing methods used for nearly a century, each print was painstakingly hand developed from Stanfield’s original negative. The results are simply amazing.
The color, contrast, and clarity are unrivaled amongst period images. The image was shot during the Milwaukee Braves spring training camp in Bradenton; FL. Hank Aaron is centered in the shot, with the clear Florida sky in the background. The bleachers and the renovated addition of a chain-link fence replaced the boarded slats seen in the early Stanfield spring training shots. Aaron is seen completing his famous swing, with bat resting on his left shoulder. As all Stanfield photos, the quality is superb, and the interested viewer can even read the Spalding label on Aaron’s shoe.
During circa 1998, MEARS conducted a private autograph signing with Hank Aaron at the original MEARS center in Greenfield, WI. A very limited number of these prints were signed, personally witnessed by MEARS President Troy R. Kinunen.
In a very unassuming manner, “Hank Aaron” is neatly scribed on the bottom portion of the left side of the image. Each signature is quite strong and signed in near mint blue sharpie marker. Great care was taken during the signing; with new blue sharpie markers being rotated after just a few signatures were signed, insuring only the highest quality signatures appeared on this remarkable print. Another fine image from the Frank Stanfield oversized 16x20 Archives. JSA hologram applied to lower right corner.