Lot # 1012: Unique 1920 Fan Letter Collage to "Shoeless" Joe Jackson

(Shoeless) Joe Jackson had an international appeal during his playing days as evidenced by this unique 1920 fan letter collage. On front of the 15-3/8 x 11" scrapbook page are 6 period newspaper cut-outs affixed to the surface, including three with "Black Sox" content. On the back page are two more newspaper cut-outs (one relating from Jackson's sale to the White Sox) and a dated 9/1/20 handwritten letter from a Cuban fan. In this letter, one Rafael Alvarez writes of his admiration for Jackson and requests "one of your photographs signed by yourself" (a quite difficult task) and "a picture of the best player of Base Ball in the world." Alvarez then apologizes for his poor English and notes the people of Havana "is waiting if the White Sox come to have to see you and your companions." Little did Mr. Alvarez know that Jackson would conclude his big league career just weeks later and Black Sox banishment would follow. A tender and interesting one-of-a-kind artifact that proves the longstanding love of our national pastime from the baseball crazed Caribbean!