Holding a piece of paper that both the Sultan of Swat and the Iron Horse touched feels like a religious experience for baseball fans. It's the holy grail. Honestly, if you find a babe ruth lou gehrig autographed photo in your attic, you aren't just looking at sports memorabilia. You're looking at a down payment on a house—or maybe the whole house.
But here's the thing. Most of what you see on eBay or at local flea markets is junk. Total fakes.
The 1927 Yankees weren't just a team; they were a traveling circus of power hitters. Ruth and Gehrig were the ringmasters. Because they were so iconic, they signed a lot of stuff, but they didn't sign that many photos together. Getting both of them to sit down, pose, and then both put ink to the same 8x10 was actually rarer than you'd think.
The 1927 Barnstorming Mystery
Most people think "signed photo" and imagine a candid shot from the dugout. Usually, that's not what the high-end market is chasing. The most famous babe ruth lou gehrig autographed photo examples actually come from their post-season barnstorming tours.
Remember the "Bustin' Babes" and "Larrupin' Lous"?
In 1927 and 1928, Ruth and Gehrig toured the country playing exhibition games. They handed out souvenir photos like candy. The catch? Most of those photos have facsimile signatures. That means the signatures were printed onto the photo at the factory.
I’ve seen dozens of people get their hearts broken because they found one of these in a grandfather’s trunk. They see the names "Babe Ruth" and "Lou Gehrig" scrawled in beautiful script and think they’ve struck gold. In reality, unless there is actual "live ink" sitting on top of that image, it’s a $50 souvenir.
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A real one, though? A 1927-28 barnstorming photo with authentic fountain pen signatures sold recently for over $39,000. Some have gone for much more depending on the "Type" of the photo.
Why Type I Photography Changes Everything
In the world of serious collecting, the photo itself matters as much as the ink. You’ll hear experts like those at PSA or Christie's talk about "Type I" photos.
Basically, a Type I photo is a first-generation image developed directly from the original negative within two years of the picture being taken. If you have a babe ruth lou gehrig autographed photo that is also a Type I Louis Van Oeyen original, you are in the stratosphere of value. Van Oeyen was the legendary Cleveland photographer who captured the duo in their most famous pinstriped poses.
In 2020, a Van Oeyen photo of the pair signed by both stars realized a price of $68,750 at Christie's.
Compare that to a "Type II" or "Type III" photo—which are later reprints or copies of the original. Even with authentic signatures, the value can drop by half if the paper it's signed on isn't "period correct." Collectors want the signatures to be as old as the moment itself.
The "Sweet Spot" and the Power Dynamic
There is a weird psychological element to these dual-signed items. Lou Gehrig was famously humble. He idolized Ruth, even when they weren't speaking (more on that feud in a second).
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On baseballs, Gehrig almost never signed the "sweet spot" if Ruth was on the ball. He felt that was the Babe's place. You see a similar trend on photos. Ruth’s signature is usually massive, flamboyant, and dead center. Gehrig’s is often smaller, neater, and tucked to the side.
- Ruth's Ink: Usually bold, thick, and looks like he was trying to tear the paper.
- Gehrig's Ink: Precise, often with a "Sincerely" or "To my pal" inscription.
- The Pen: Look for fountain pen ink. Ballpoint pens weren't widely used until the mid-1940s. If you see a 1930s photo signed in Bic-style blue ink, run.
What Really Happened with the Ruth-Gehrig Feud?
It’s one of the most famous rifts in sports history. For about six or seven years, the two greatest hitters in the world didn't speak a word to each other.
It started over a comment Ruth reportedly made about Gehrig’s mother. Lou was a "momma's boy" in the best sense—his mother, Christina, was his world. Ruth made a crack about how she dressed Lou's daughter, or perhaps about her cooking, depending on which historian you ask. Gehrig went cold.
They played side-by-side in the same lineup, winning World Series, while effectively being strangers.
This makes a babe ruth lou gehrig autographed photo from the mid-1930s incredibly rare. They weren't exactly hanging out together for photo ops. The feud only ended on July 4, 1939—Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day. That’s the day Ruth finally threw his arms around a dying Gehrig in front of 60,000 fans.
If you find a photo of that hug signed by both? That is museum-level history.
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How to Spot a Fake Without Being an Expert
I’m going to be blunt: if it looks too perfect, it’s probably a fake.
Authentic signatures from the 1920s and 30s have "personality." The ink fades at different rates. Fountain pen ink reacts with the glossy coating of old photos, sometimes "beading" or showing slight skips.
The "Ghost" Signature
Many fakes are "autopens" or "stamps." If you find two photos where the signatures are 100% identical—down to the last millimeter—they are mechanical. Humans don't sign things the same way twice.
The Inscription Trap
Fakers hate writing long sentences because it’s harder to mimic handwriting for 20 words than for two. A photo that says "To my friend Bill, thanks for the great time in Chicago, your friend Babe Ruth" is actually more likely to be real than just a plain signature, provided the handwriting matches.
Modern Paper
Hold the photo up to a blacklight. Modern paper contains brighteners that glow blue/violet under UV light. 1920s paper usually stays dull or yellowish. It’s a quick and dirty way to weed out 1990s reprints.
The Actionable Roadmap for Your Photo
If you’re sitting on what you think is a real babe ruth lou gehrig autographed photo, don't just take it to a local card shop. Most of those guys are great with modern cards, but they aren't vintage autograph experts.
- Check for Facsimile: Use a magnifying glass. If the signature is made of tiny dots (pixels) or looks perfectly flat and "under" the gloss of the photo, it’s a print.
- Contact the Big Three: You need a Letter of Authenticity (LOA). PSA/DNA, James Spence Authentication (JSA), and Beckett (BAS) are the only three names that the big auction houses trust.
- Don't Clean It: For the love of Lou, do not try to wipe the photo or "fix" a smudge. You will destroy the "Type" classification and potentially ruin the ink.
- Check the Provenance: Where did it come from? "My grandma's attic" is a start, but if you have a newspaper clipping or a letter from the original owner explaining how they met the Babe in 1932, the value can jump by 20%.
The market for these items is only going up. In 2026, the scarcity of dual-signed Yankees material is reaching a breaking point as more pieces disappear into private "forever" collections. Whether it's a "Bustin' Babes" souvenir or a candid dugout shot, the pinstriped legends remain the gold standard of the hobby.
Next Steps for Potential Sellers:
Start by taking high-resolution, clear photos of the signature areas in natural light. Avoid using a flash, as the glare can hide the "overlap" of the ink, which is a key indicator for authenticators to see if the pen actually sat on top of the photo's surface. Once you have these, you can submit them for an "Online Quick Opinion" through a service like PSA/DNA for a small fee before committing to the full (and expensive) physical authentication process. This saves you from paying for a full cert on an obvious reprint.