November 19, 2020: Fall Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/19/2020
Here’s an intimate look at Broadway Joe Namath in all his glory in the late 1960s and 1970s, a spectacular array of newspaper Wire Photos (mostly) that followed the Hall of Famer from the gridiron to press briefings, the hospital and every disco and nightclub in between. These are simply stunning historical artifacts, detailing the exploits of one of the legendary figures connected to the ultimate merger of the American Football League with its older rival, the National Football League. These handsome Wire Photos are broadly 8-by-10 inches, often with newspaper cutline information attached, and typically carrying editor commentary or cropping marks, plus official stamping on the backs from the various New York newspapers or UPI and NEA. Covering from 1965 to the 1970s, the photos capture Joe sometimes alongside other legendary names from that NFL era, or even more often accompanied by a lot of gorgeous dames. Indeed, about three dozen of the images show Namath either in personal situations, at press conferences or in the hospital, and just as typically show him (and some of those aforementioned dames) in civilian attire enjoying the Manhattan nightlife, the groovy 1970s look that so dramatically defined the era. The list of notable NFL names who drop into some of the photos includes Johnny Unitas, Weeb Ewbank, Sonny Werblin, Bear Bryant and Babe Parilli, to name a few. The Wirephotos themselves are in a reasonable condition considering these were handled with a certain feverish enthusiasm by editorial staffers almost a half-century ago, probably Excellent to Ex-Mt in hobby parlance. Ultimately, this is a must-have for those diehard Namath collectors, a phenomenal snapshot of one of the most controversial figures of his time.
1965-70s Joe Namath Wirephotos Group (56)
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