Sep 28, 2023 - Sale 2646

Sale 2646 - Lot 265

Price Realized: $ 531
?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 800 - $ 1,200
(SPORTS--BASEBALL.) Extensive correspondence file on ongoing renovations to Yankee Stadium. 34 items in one thick folder; staples, minor wear. Various places, 1937-1952 (bulk 1945-1948)
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Additional Details

The original Yankee Stadium, home of the New York Yankees from 1922 through 2008, was perhaps the most iconic venue in the American sporting world. It was home to 26 World Series champions, as well as football, soccer, and numerous public gatherings over its long lifetime. It was designed and built by the Osborn Engineering Company of Cleveland, OH. This file relates to Osborn's ongoing involvement with the stadium's upkeep and renovations, most from 1945 to 1948.

The correspondence file consists of 23 outgoing letters (mostly typescript carbons) plus 7 letters received by Osborn, mostly from contractors. Many of the letters are addressed to top Yankees officials, such as club presidents Larry MacPhail and Dan Topping, and General Manager George Weiss. A single letter from 1937 discusses painting, stenciling, and setting up of chairs. A letter dated 5 December 1945 proposes a new lighting installation for one of the stadium's meeting rooms, with attached pencil sketch. Other topics included a proposed extensive upper deck expansion, and a new football press box. Two carbon copies of letters sent by Hall of Fame executive Larry MacPhail discuss charges for electrical work. In 1952, a Hartford Courant reporter asked about the company's role in the stadium's construction; Osborn's extensive response is the latest item in this lot.

In addition to the correspondence are 4 documents. A 2-page typescript titled "Notes by Mr. R. Wirtz on Yankee Stadium" includes a list of proposed renovations and is dated 14 November 1945. A contract with the Otis Elevator Company for a car to "serve openings at basement, ground, main deck, office floor, mezzanine deck, upper deck" is dated 13 December 1945. A 38-page partial mimeograph of a renovation contract for the stadium is dated 21 December 1945.