2017 November Golf Memorabilia Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/19/2017
Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, Pres. Eisenhower, & Cliff Roberts - Ben's Personal Morgan Fitz Original Photo - 4/14/1953
Offered here is a crystal clear, excellent condition black and white 11 x 14 Morgan Fitz photograph which was the personal original image belonging to Ben Hogan. It depicts Hogan at the Augusta National with President Eisenhower, Clifford Roberts, and Byron Nelson on Tuesday, April 14, 1953. Captured in time just two days after Hogan had claimed his second Masters title with a record low score of 274, bettering the old tournament record by five strokes. This score included a Hogan career best low round at Augusta of 66 in the Saturday round. Hogan's showing at the National caused the sitting President on this occasion to jab Robert's about how Ben had destroyed par during the tournament. "Ben Hogan made fun of your course, didn't he, Cliff?" Eisenhower said. This photograph on it's reverse side bears the traditional rectangular box photographic stamp and copyright of famed 1940's,50's & 60's Augusta photographer Morgan Fitz along with his date stamp 4/14/53. This stamping, along with it's ownership by Hogan raises this photograph, which resides in the Library of Congress' files, to a lofty plateau among golf images. A treasured opportunity to own an original with impeccable provenance.
THE BOB COFFIN COLLECTION SOURCED FROM BEN HOGAN'S PERSONAL SECRETARY SHARON RAE
Bob Coffin is a man of action, as seen by a career of public service which began 35 years ago with his election to the Nevada Assembly. From that office Coffin was the people's choice for a seat in the Nevada State Senate. After serving in that position for the length that Nevada term limitations would allow, Coffin returned to his hometown of Las Vegas where he continues to serve his constituents as a city councilman to this day. For Coffin this passion for service to his country began with a stint in the United States Army, the same branch of service that his lifelong hero Ben Hogan had served in during World War II. Coffin a student of the Hogan approach to golf, learned his lessons well, so well, that he won the 1969 Nevada Amateur Golf Championship. Following that triumph it was only natural in 1979 that the hometown Las Vegas newspaper, the Review Journal, called on Bob to write a golf column for the paper. To this day accolades continue to pour in for this highly respected man in so many arenas be it golf, military, or politics. Most recently, he was named Person of the Year by the Southern Nevada Chapter of the Professional Golfers Association and received the Charles Dick Medal of Honor Award from the United States National Guard.
This career of public service over the lifetime of Bob Coffin offers much for us to respect. We owe him gratitude, but an even larger thank you as golf collectors is due him for his action in preserving the personal ephemera which belonged to Ben and Valerie Hogan. These mementos covering various stages of their storied lives had been gifted by both Ben and Valerie to their trusted personal secretary Sharon Rae (Please see photo that accompanies this lot of Mr. Hogan and Sharon Rae). Mrs. Rae following Ben's passing in 1997 became such a vital part of Mrs. Hogan's life that she accompanied her to both Ben Hogan's tribute at the 1999 Memorial Tournament and to the dedication of the United States Golf Association's Ben Hogan room that same year. Her prominence in the lives of the Hogan's was evident when she was remembered in both Ben's will with a cash bequest and a much larger bequest in Valerie's will. As a studious collector of Hogan material Bob Coffin stayed in contact with the Rae family, and following Sharon's passing was contacted by son Andy Rae. He informed Coffin that in his garage there is "still a bunch of stuff". Coffin, the man of action, caught a plane to Texas and completed a transaction that saved the Hogan collection as sourced through Sharon Rae for the golf collecting community. The Golf Auction is pleased with so much of the prized material of the Hogan's lifetime already placed in permanent homes to be able to make this offering. We recognize that it may be the last opportunity available to offer fresh Hogan material, which contains rock solid provenance, to the collectors of arguably the greatest golfer of the 20th century but certainly one of America's most idolized and interesting people of that century.
Please note: This auction will end at 7:00pm EST on Sunday, November 19th, with EXTENDED BIDDING to follow. All items in the auction will remain open until no items have received a bid within a 15 minute time period. All lots are free to be bid on until extended bidding has ended
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