An outstanding 8" x 10" photograph from the lens of Charles Martin Conlon. Here, he's captured Chicago Cubs catcher and future Hall of Famer Roger Bresnahan exiting the dugout in full catching regalia, sometime in 1914. Bresnahan was no stranger to the tools of ignorance (a term coined by fellow catcher Muddy Ruel) as he is credited with at minimum popularizing, if not introducing the use of shinguards for catchers during his time with the 1907 Giants. Bresnahan enjoyed a 17-year career in the major leagues and, during his first full season as a catcher, in 1905 helped the Giants to a World Series championship, defeating the Philadelphia Athletics 4 games to 1. Bresnahan caught all 5 games of the series, including FOUR shutouts - three by Mathewson and one from "Iron Man" Joe McGinnity. Interestingly, ALL games in the series were shutouts as the Athletics bested the Giants 3-0 in Game 2 with a complete game from Chief Bender.

This is a stunning example of Conlon's artistry and the image boasts near-perfect clarity and contrast. From the metal of Bresnahan's mask, to the leather of his glove, to the concrete of the dugout and the grime on his chest protector, this photo oozes with texture and the harsh realities of life as a Deadball Era catcher. Unfortunately, photo suffers from pinholes and small tears along the edges that encroach upon the borderless image. Three of the four corners have chipped away and the top right corner exhibits heavy wear. A paper frame has been pasted around Brsenahan's face, likely for use at some stage of the publication process. Verso includes Charles Conlon's handwritten identification of Bresnahan along with a paper tag obscuring Charles Conlon stamping underneath.

Photo is fresh to the hobby and originates from the archives of Photo File, Inc. where it has been stored for several decades until this offering. Full LOA from PSA/DNA.