c.1930 Babe Ruth, The Champion Nine All America Athletic Underwear in Original Box
Magnificent full color advertising memorabilia featuring an early, portrait illustration of Babe Ruth promoting "The Champion Nine, All America Athletic Underwear". The auction includes the wonderful box you see below complete with one pair of the original underwear garment. The garment is complete with its original Babe Ruth label and all three celluloid buttons. Actually it's more like a night shirt with the lower half open from the torso down. The box features a near pristine illustration of Ruth within the circle of a number 9. Fantastic image with "picture perfect" smile and perfectly quaffed hair. Exactly like you'd picture him in your mind. Style of the underwear and Ruth's appearance date this item to approximately 1930, possibly earlier. The box bottom is embossed "Hercules Box, International Printing Co., Indianapolis". The front box skirt includes a facsimile signature and indicates that this is a men's style 9, size 38. It originally contained six undergarments. In other words there was only one box for every six pair of underwear. So originally acquiring the box was not easy. The underwear is an open neck (river driver) style with three celluloid buttons. The buttons are all original. Size: 10" x 13" x 2¾". Sold: Sep. 2005
Price Sold: $ 435
