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(14) 1925/1926 Handwritten Letters Sent to Wife Freeda By Jim Thorpe While Playing Football For Tampa Cardinals (v. Red Grange)
Estimate
20,000 - 30,000 USD
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Description
In 1925 and 1926, Jim Thorpe, now married to Freeda (they wed on October 23, 1925), continued to cobble together a living in an effort to support his new family doing what he did best, playing his game of choice, professional football.
The letters date from December 21, 1925, just two months after their nuptials, and continue into early January of the next year. Thorpe wrote to his new bride during the time period in which played football for the Tampa Cardinals. As the team's main draw, Thorpe would take on and play against Red Grange, theonly recorded battle between two legendary football pioneers. At that time, the NFL still in its infancy, had not caught on with the public. In an effort to help give the league credence, in the winter of 1925 Grange led his Chicago Bears team on a special tour whose mission was to put pro football fans in the stands. By Christmas there was much anticipation in what was billed as a key New Year's Day match up between Thorpe, recognized universally as "greatest football player who ever lived", and Grange, football's newest sensation.
The fourteen letters, all hand addressed by Thorpe to "Mrs. James Thorpe," show a weary life on the road for the clearly tiring 38 year old athlete. Each letter, from two to seven pages in length, details his longing for the new Mrs. Thorpe. They also include significant references to his new football squad as well as the anticipated contest against Grange (just after Christmas he wrote Freeda that "I expect to beat Red Grange and his football outfit…on New Years night," writing the night before the contest Thorpe complained of "muscle soreness from hard work getting into shape so Red Grange will have the time of his young life..."). Thorpe enclosed a local newspaper article in one letter that trumpeted the game, which 7000 fans attended. They witnessed Grange's team beating Thorpe's squad 17 to 3 with Grange himself racing 70 yards for the games biggest play.
Thorpe comments about his life on the road with his roommate, football star Pete Calac and Thorpe's own business plans as his athletic career was winding down. He also makes several references to Ralph Hay, the automobile dealer from Canton who is credited with assembling the meeting in his own shop to organize what became the NFL. All of the letters, except for one, include a Thorpe hand written addressed stamped envelope. LOA from Thorpe family to accompany this lot.
The letters date from December 21, 1925, just two months after their nuptials, and continue into early January of the next year. Thorpe wrote to his new bride during the time period in which played football for the Tampa Cardinals. As the team's main draw, Thorpe would take on and play against Red Grange, theonly recorded battle between two legendary football pioneers. At that time, the NFL still in its infancy, had not caught on with the public. In an effort to help give the league credence, in the winter of 1925 Grange led his Chicago Bears team on a special tour whose mission was to put pro football fans in the stands. By Christmas there was much anticipation in what was billed as a key New Year's Day match up between Thorpe, recognized universally as "greatest football player who ever lived", and Grange, football's newest sensation.
The fourteen letters, all hand addressed by Thorpe to "Mrs. James Thorpe," show a weary life on the road for the clearly tiring 38 year old athlete. Each letter, from two to seven pages in length, details his longing for the new Mrs. Thorpe. They also include significant references to his new football squad as well as the anticipated contest against Grange (just after Christmas he wrote Freeda that "I expect to beat Red Grange and his football outfit…on New Years night," writing the night before the contest Thorpe complained of "muscle soreness from hard work getting into shape so Red Grange will have the time of his young life..."). Thorpe enclosed a local newspaper article in one letter that trumpeted the game, which 7000 fans attended. They witnessed Grange's team beating Thorpe's squad 17 to 3 with Grange himself racing 70 yards for the games biggest play.
Thorpe comments about his life on the road with his roommate, football star Pete Calac and Thorpe's own business plans as his athletic career was winding down. He also makes several references to Ralph Hay, the automobile dealer from Canton who is credited with assembling the meeting in his own shop to organize what became the NFL. All of the letters, except for one, include a Thorpe hand written addressed stamped envelope. LOA from Thorpe family to accompany this lot.