1947 Jackie Robinson Original News Photograph Taken Day of Signing with Brooklyn Dodgers - Iconic Image Used for Bond Bread Ro...

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Groundbreaking day of most important signing in Major League history!

1947 Jackie Robinson Original News Photograph Taken Day of Signing with Brooklyn Dodgers - Iconic Image Used for Bond Bread Rookie Card, PSA/DNA Type 1. April 15, 1947, was a day that simultaneously shaped baseball and American history. It was the day that Jack Roosevelt Robinson officially broke Major League Baseball's longstanding color barrier by starting at first base for the host Brooklyn Dodgers in a regular-season game against the Boston Braves at Ebbets Field. But before that monumental day ever took place, a very significant moment occurred five days earlier that ensured Robinson's participation. On April 10, 1947, inside the Dodgers team offices in Brooklyn, Robinson met with Dodgers General Manager Branch Rickey to sign his MLB player's contract. The team's front office was located inside the Mechanics Bank building at 215 Montague Street from 1933 until their departure from Brooklyn in 1957. It was there, on the fourth floor, where Robinson and Rickey made history.

A solid Negro League player for the Kansas City Monarchs, Robinson was a player Rickey had his eye on. Originally serving as GM for the St. Louis Cardinals (1925 to 1942), Rickey long envisioned signing a Negro League player to a Major League contract but didn't feel St. Louis was the right venue. His dream of integrating black players into Major League Baseball started to come into better focus once he accepted a new position with the Dodgers in 1943. Robinson, meanwhile, played his only season in the Negro Leagues in 1945, where he hit .375 with 45 hits in 34 games. Rickey determined that Robinson was his man and convinced Jackie to sign his first professional playing contract on August 28, 1945. It placed Robinson with the minor league Montreal Royals. A member of the International League, the Triple-A Royals were the top farm team of the Dodgers. Jackie shined with his new team. In 1946, in his only season playing north of the border, he batted a league-best .349 for the Royals with a .929 OPS and 40 stolen bases. More importantly, he led the club to a 100-54 record and the International League championship.

Next stop: Brooklyn.

Presented is a rarity that captures Jackie through the photographer's lens that most memorable day. Only a handful of photos are known to exist showing Robinson on the day he signed with the Dodgers and even fewer examples are known that show him wearing his Montreal Royals uniform at Ebbets Field. This particular image was taken within hours of another famous photo that shows Robinson with his glove in hand about to enter the Dodgers' locker room for the very first time. While the latter photo might be more significant in that it shows the Dodgers' clubhouse door, the photo that's up for bid certainly runs a close second.

The offered black-and-white print, measuring 6.75" wide by 9" tall, shows Jackie taking a swing with his preferred choice of lumber, all for the benefit of the photographer on hand. The image is a masterfully rendered batting portrait that would soon find secondary fame due to its inclusion in the 1947 Bond Bread (Batting, White Shirt Sleeves) trading card series. The borderless photo remains in remarkable condition, especially considering its vintage, with "International News Photo" stamping on verso along with a penciled identifier and a "June 1948" date stamp. Encapsulated PSA/DNA, Type 1.