Original news service photo featuring all-time great, Christy Mathewson with a cadre of young pitchers in 1919. After spending spending three seasons with the Cincinnati Reds organization from 1916-18, mostly as their manager, Matty enlisted in the army late in 1918 during WWI. He was back with the Giants in a coaching role by spring (as shown here) but not before being exposed to poison gas in France; leaving him susceptible to the tuberculosis he'd battle until his death in 1925.

Shot at the New York Giants spring facility in Gainesville, FL, photo is an attractive depiction of Mathewson demonstrating a pitching grip to three young hurlers, one of which is knuckleballer Ed Rommel, who would go on to have a lengthy major league career. Photo measures 6.5" x 8.5" with some damage to the lower-left corner that has been reattached with clear tape. Large paper caption remains affixed to verso providing context to the scene and is date stamped to March of 1919. Credit stampings from both NEA and the International Film Service have been applied to verso along the bottom edge. Authenticated and encapsulated as a Type I photo by PSA/DNA.