The last home jersey ever worn by Lou Gehrig during the Yankees’ 1939 World Series victory will head to auction this October as part of the collection of Dr. G.B. Espy at Christie’s and Hunt Auctions.
“Dr. Espy was a pioneering collector of historic memorabilia during the formative years of the medium within the industry. He had a great eye, and an encyclopedic interest in America,” David Hunt said in a statement. “For decades, this collection has occupied a position within the hobby as one of the most important of its type, and these sales are assured to be a landmark event at Christie’s in the heart of New York City.”
Espy began collecting college football memorabilia before expanding to other sports and then to cultural history and beyond.
In 2019, Julien’s sold a portion of his collection, including Babe Ruth’s 1938 Brooklyn Dodgers coaching uniform ($187,500), a Joe DiMaggio-Marilyn Monroe dual-signed baseball ($137,500) and Gehrig’s signed 1933 MLB contract ($131,250).
The sale will take place in Christie’s Rockefeller Center salesroom Oct. 22, while a concurrent online auction will begin Oct. 10 and conclude Oct. 24.
More than 400 lots will be available for bidding, many of which will be on display at the National Sports Collectors Convention in Chicago beginning Wednesday.
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct, the premier company for collectible content.