Often regarded as the greatest to ever do it, pioneering fullback Jim Brown dominated the NFL for nearly a decade from 1957 to 1965. In an iconic career bursting with accolades, the virtually unstoppable Brown guided his Cleveland Browns to an NFL title in 1964, retiring at the age of 30 while arguably still in his prime. Enshrined among the Pro Football Hall of Fame's class of 1971, his legacy has been further cemented by inclusion on the NFL's official 50th, 75th, and 100th All-Time Team rosters.

Today, Jim Brown's 1958 Topps Football #62 rookie card continues to rank among the most sought-after vintage football cards in the hobby. With PSA and SGC's combined population totals exceeding 7,000 cards, the popularity of the card is palpable. Exceedingly more scarce, however, are the original Type I photos featuring the very image that inspired Jim Brown's highly coveted rookie, of which only a scant three 8" x 10" examples are known, according to PSA's lead photo authenticator, Henry Yee.

Newly discovered, the presented superlative 8" x 10" Type I photo survives as the finest of the three known examples, boasting nearly flawless tonal contrast paired with bright-white borders and verso, Jim Brown's facial features in sharp focus. Both surfaces remain impressively clean and virtually free of general handling wear typical of vintage photos of this type. Close inspection reveals a touch of abrasion at the corners, with small handwritten notations added in red on the verso. Shot in 1957 at the Cleveland Browns' training camp at Hiram College in OH, verso also displays official team photographer Henry M. Barr's critical "Commercial and Industrial Photographer" credit stamping applied at the top. Stamping from the Cleveland Browns organization also appears with a handwritten identifier of Brown penned in blue ballpoint.

In 2020 a lesser example of this photo, with editorial markings applied to the front and heavy toning to the verso, sold elsewhere in the hobby for nearly $70,000. Offered here publicly for the very first time, we anticipate this remarkable original photo to garner significant interest from those looking for the very best in vintage sports photography and the most significant Type I rookie photos in the collecting space. Authenticated and encapsulated as a Type I photo by PSA/DNA.

Size: large
Condition: yes