1930s UNIDENTIFIED POLICE SERGEANT Original GEORGE BURKE Photo Negative

DATE: 1930s

SUBJECT: Unidentified Police Sergeant

PHOTOGRAPHER: George Burke

APPROXIMATE SIZE: 5"x7" AGFA Nitrate Film Photographic Negative

COMMENTS / CONDITION: This is an original negative from the camera of noted baseball photographer George Burke which can still be used to produce prints of unparalleled quality. See scans for further details. Note that the ''positive'' images shown were produced by inverting a digital scan of the negative. Prints developed through a traditional darkroom "wet print" process should yield superior images to those shown here. Upon request, a high-resolution scan of the negative can be provided TO THE WINNER ONLY. This is a service provided for those who wish to enjoy their purchase digitally but do not have a scanner capable of scanning negatives, with no transfer of rights for the image implied.

George C. Burke was born in 1874 in Pennington Gap, VA and died in 1951 in Chicago, IL. A case of mistaken identity made by the Chicago Cubs resulted in George Burke becoming the official photographer for the Chicago Cubs. In 1929, Cubs manager Joe McCarthy and Gabby Hartnett sought out the ballclub's previous photographer. They could only remember his last name, Burke, so they looked him up in the phone book. A listing leapt out at them: studio photographer George C. Burke, whose office was near Wrigley Field. Thus began the baseball photography career of George Burke, who had no prior sports experience whatsoever, and thus ended the career of photographer Francis Burke - the Cubs' time-honored official cameraman and an unwitting victim of mistaken identity. To undertake his new "big league" endeavor, Burke hired the young (age 15) baseball-knowledgeable George Brace as his assistant, and the two soon became a Chicago institution. Ever-present at Wrigley Field and Comiskey Park, Burke and Brace shot not only for the Cubs, but also for the White Sox and football's Chicago Bears. They also endeavored to amass a complete portfolio of player portraits - a daunting task made possible by the fact that Chicago was the only city with both an American League and a National League franchise from 1929 all the way until Brace's retirement in 1993. As the official photographer for the Chicago Cubs, Burke quickly became renowned for his candid pre-game photos and thought-provoking portrait depictions, and his posed portraits and action photos were published in The Sporting News, Who's Who in the Major Leagues, and Baseball Digest as well as other publications, and provided the necessary photos for numerous 1930's and later baseball card and premium issues.

SKU: GBNHY0031

Check out my eBay Store for more items like this:

The Cat's Pajamas Collectibles

Shipping / Insurance: All items will be securely packaged to ensure they are not damaged in shipping and will be marked or stamped "DO NOT BEND" to discourage postmen from shoving them into small P.O. or mail boxes. Unless otherwise stated, all shipping will be via USPS. Options are typically given for 1st Class or Priority for packages weighing up to 13 ounces, and Priority for packages 14 ounces and larger. Media Mail may also be optional for certain items. Shipping insurance for items valued up to $50 is included in the base shipping price shown. Shipping prices shown apply for United States domestic shipping only. If you will require international shipping, please either e-mail me for a quote ahead of time or else wait for me to send an invoice with your shipping options. All international purchases should be paid for with Paypal.

Combined Shipping: I will gladly combine shipping on multiple lots to save you money. I typically send combined invoices for auction items following the end of each week's listings. If you have multiple Buy It Now purchases, just send me a note to let me know when you have finished making your purchases and I will send you a combined invoice with all of your shipping options. You should then make a SINGLE payment for all your purchases. Combined shipping is figured by taking the largest shipping amount for any of your items and adding an incremental amount for each additional item. The additional U.S. domestic shipping amounts for some typical items are listed below, but most items (within reason) can be combined even if not listed here. If you know what you are interested in, you may e-mail me for combined shipping quotes for items not listed here ahead of time.

     Comic Books: $0.50 each additional

     Magazines: $0.75 each additional

     Books/Trade Paperbacks/Graphic Novels: $1.00 each additional

     Single Cards  & 35mm Slides : $0.35 each additional

     Trading Card Lots (most) & Single Graded Cards: $0.50 each additional

     Small Photos/Postcards (up to 4"x6"): $0.50 each additional

     Medium Photos (up to 8"x10"): $0.75 each additional

     Large Photos (larger than 8"x10"): $1.00 each additional

     Baseballs: $2.50 each additional

NOTE: Correct combined shipping amounts will not show automatically. If you need a combined invoice, please either let me know by e-mail or wait for me to send the corrected invoice. Otherwise, the system will automatically sum all the individual shipping amounts, resulting in an over-inflated shipping total.

Ebay Store: Please check out my other listings, both Auctions and Buy It Now / Store items. If this item appeals to you, I probably have something else that will too. If not, try me next week. I am constantly listing new items in my weekly Auctions and in my Store, so check back regularly to see what's new!

Questions/Concerns: I attempt to describe each item as best I can, but please let the generously-sized scans/photos of each that I will be providing do most of the talking as regards condition and content. Unless otherwise stated, the images shown are of the actual item you are bidding on. As always, if you see something that I have mis-stated or other mistakes in my listings, please let me know so that I can update it with the corrected information. If you have any questions about any items offered, please ask before you bid and before the auction has ended.

Return Policy: Returns are accepted for grading/shipping errors only. No buyer's remorse, and no refunds given for mistaken assumptions. Any refund given will be issued upon return of the item in question.