INDIANAPOLIS, IN.- A group of never-before-seen photos of sports legends Babe Ruth and Jim Thorpe, plus one of former major league baseball catcher Wally Schang, will come up for bid on Saturday, December 2nd, at Ripley Auctions, online and in the firm’s gallery located at 2764 East 55th Place in Indianapolis. The auction will get underway promptly at 11 am Central.

The 1920s-era photographs were discovered hidden away, presumably for decades, in a storage locker from a prominent family in the Midwest. Found were several photographic albums containing the photos being sold as well as many others of the family’s travels and other subjects dating from 1908 thru the 1930s. Four photos are of Ruth, one is of Thorpe and one is of Schang.

PSA/DNA Authentication Services, the respected sports memorabilia authenticating firm, has deemed all five to be Type 1 original photos that are genuine and authentic and date to the 1920s. All six of the photos come with letters of authenticity from PSA/DNA Authentication Services.

The four Ruth photos are the expected stars of the collection. Only one shows him in an in-game situation. In it, the Bambino is at bat, in full uniform, in what looks to be an exhibition or spring training game. The 4 ¾ inch by 6 ¾ inch photo is expected to change hands for $1,000-$2,000.

In the other three photos, Ruth is pictured with a greyhound dog Hazel, who belonged to the very Midwestern family that compiled the photo albums. They were breeders of greyhounds. In all three photos, Ruth is in his New York Yankees uniform, on the field, with Hazel at his side. Two of the three photos are 4 ¾ inches by 6 ¾ inches and carry identical estimates of $1,000-$2,000.

The third photo, however, is torn in half and carries an estimate of $100-$300. There are several other photos of Hazel with her family that have been folded into the Ruth lots, too, interestingly.

Jim Thorpe (1887-1953) was a multi-sport American athlete and Olympic gold medalist. A member of the Sac and Fox Nation tribes, Thorpe became the first Native American to win a gold medal for his home country. The photo of him in the sale depicts him on the football field, in full uniform, circa 1920s. The 6 ¾ inch by 4 ½ inch photo has an estimate of $700-$900.

Walter Henry (Wally) Schang (1889-1965) hailed from South Wales, N.Y., and played for five major league baseball teams between 1913 and 1931, all as a catcher. He played for the New York Yankees from 1921-1925. Schang is shown in his 6 ¾ inch by 4 ¾ inch photograph on the playing field in his Yankee uniform, striking a pose, wearing his catcher’s mitt (est. $600-$900).

For those unable to attend in person, online bidding will be provided by Invaluable.com, eBay Live and Auctionzip.com. Ripley Auctions offers auction services for estates, collections and personal property for individuals, heirs, executors, other legal representatives and commercial clients. It is a state of the art global marketplace for arts, antiques, jewelry and memorabilia.