This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 12/10/2001.
Although celebrated as the greatest athlete of all time, Jim Thorpe rarely heard the cheering. The peerless Indian athlete dominated the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, winning gold medals in both the decathlon and pentathlon, only to have them taken from him on the grounds that he had played semi-pro baseball. Jim Thorpe's essence is found in this 12" x 16" photograph showing an elderly, banged-up Thorpe smiling through his pain and despair during an appearance with children, the glint in his eyes that of a man who found pure joy in sports. The photo is in near-mint condition and is mounted under glass in an 18" x 20-1/2" frame.