Nat Fein
Babe Ruth Bows Out

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Artist Nat Fein (American, 1914–2000)American, 1914–2000

CultureAmerican

Titles

Babe Ruth Bows Out

DateJune 13, 1948

PlaceNew York, New York, United States

MediumGelatin silver print

DimensionsImage: 7 11/16 × 9 9/16 in. (19.5 × 24.3 cm)
Sheet: 8 1/8 × 10 in. (20.6 × 25.4 cm)

Credit LineMuseum purchase funded by Geary Broadnax

Object number2001.127

Not on view

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Department

Photography

Object Type

PHOTOGRAPHS

DescriptionNat Fein became the first photographer to win the Pulitzer Prize for photography with a sports subject. He won by capturing Babe Ruth from behind, while all of his colleagues from rival papers were photographing Ruth’s retirement from the traditional view of the ceremony, standing in front of the honoree. Fein only needed Ruth’s classic barrel-chested silhouette and his uniform number to identify him. While amateur photographers sell their photographs of many events, professionals have the edge of access to perspectives not available to the general public. The acclaim of this image is evidenced in numerous stamps and inscriptions on the back which inventory its rich history of publication in various media.
Provenance[John Cleary Gallery, Houston]; purchased by MFAH, 2001.
Exhibition History"A Love Affair with Pictures: 25 Years of Collecting Photographs at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston," MFAH, Lower Jones and Masterson Galleries, October 14 - December 30, 2001.

"Sports: Leisure-Time and Professional," at the Shell and the American Landscape Museum, Houston, Texas, from May 30 to September 4, 2001 (LN:2001.31).

"Sports Photography from the Collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston," 13 June 2005 - 12 September 2005.

“Made for Magazines: Iconic 20th-Century Photographs,” The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, February 9–May 4, 2014.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks

Numerous pencil marks on verso:
" "3 Is Out" Nat Fein/NY Herald Tribune"
"Pulitzer award/1949"
"(Photo by Nathaniel Fein)"

Numerous stamps on verso:
"49 MAY 2 11PM 17"

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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