Huggins and Scott Auctions takes great pleasure in presenting treasures from the estate of Arthur J. “Dutch” Bergman. A halfback for Notre Dame from 1915-1916, and 1919, Bergman went on to a lengthy career as a college football coach, along with shorter stints in basketball and baseball. Held by the Bergman family for more than one hundred years, these ancient relics make their way to the market for the first time in our current auction.



Having succumbed to illness in 1920 at the age of 25, George Gipp stands as an extremely rare autograph subject. An exceptional natural athlete, Gipp went to Notre Dame to play baseball. Lacking organized football experience, he was nevertheless recruited by coach Knute Rockne, and led the Fighting Irish in rushing and passing from 1918-1920, while also handling punting, punt return, and kick return duties. Time to go all in, for this Gipp signed c.1919-1920 Notre Dame football Type I photograph. Measuring 4-1/2 x 6-3/4”, this dynamic photo pictures Notre Dame’s first All-American practicing his punting technique. Applied in black ink by means of a steel-tip fountain pen, Gipp’s surname only autograph, and “Good Luck from” salutation still present a (“7.5”) degree of potency, after 100+ years of existence. A 1/2” triangle at the top right corner has been reattached with a small tape repair on the reverse, and otherwise this antique photo shows Gd-Vg details. While it's likely Gipp signed photos with other poses, research suggests this punting pose is the only signed type to have surfaced in the 21st Century, and that only a very small number are known. Full LOA from James Spence/JSA; Bergman estate LOA. Opening Bid $3,000.