Historical Hockey Memorabilia Spring 2012
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/12/2012
This sensational, captivating relic is the likes of which very seldom comes along and dates back to early in Chicago Black Hawks franchise history. This black leather jacket features a stirring white-on-black felt Indian head logo patch at the left breast and once belonged to Marvin "Cy" Wentworth, a defenseman who joined the Black Hawks for their second NHL season in 1927-28. Wentworth had spent the previous season with the Chicago Cardinals of the AHA and went on to become regarded as the best defensive d-man in the big leagues, manning the Hawks' blue line for five seasons before moving on to Montreal where he played six years for the Maroons, contributing to a Stanley Cup championship in 1934-35, before finishing up with two seasons with the Canadiens. In Chicago, Wentworth was paired with big Taffy Abel and was named team captain in 1931. A piece of now darkened white leather sewn onto the interior of the striped knit waist reads, "Marv. Wentworth", while a tag still present in the lining below the similar collar reveals the jacket came from "Alex Taylor & Co." of New York. "Athletic Supplies" and the company's 22 E 42nd street location are also included. Button front jacket features white leather stripes on the sleeves and white leather trim around the pockets, with an American flag patch on one and the then Canadian flag on the other. There are dozens of small holes to note in the stretchy knit black and white collar and waist, but none in the somewhat different cuffs which exhibit only minor fraying. Evidence of once having been mounted in a frame are in two spots of glue and red paper on the lower back, (in the striped waist), with leather loss on the back of each shoulder from having been affixed there (quarter-size and twice that at the right shoulder). We also spot a quarter-size blotch of glue on both the left sleeve and right cuff. Overall though, the black leather has survived in rather good shape, with about a dozen not-so-detracting small holes/slices, mostly near the waistband, and a few scrapes at the back of the upper left sleeve to note. Just one button, one of two at the bottom, has gone missing. The lining is tattered and torn, with the jacket measuring out to approximately size 40. Formidable piece of Black Hawks' history was originally obtained from the family of Cy Wentworth, with a letter of authenticity from Classic Collectibles to be included. Oh, if this rarity could talk!
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