Historical Hockey and Sports Memorabilia Auction Winter 2023
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/1/2023
The third indoor arena in New York City bearing the name Madison Square Garden, and located on the west side of Eighth Avenue between 49th and 50th streets in Manhattan, the venue opened just weeks before Christmas in 1925, and served as the home of the NHL's New York Americans and Rangers, and later, the New York Knicks. The setting for endless Big Apple cultural events as well as sporting endeavors, everything from boxing to the circus took place between it's famous walls. With only two known sets of five connected original wooden seats from MSG, we offer this exceeding rare group from the collection of sportswriter Allen Abel, as his family were longtime season ticket holders for the Rangers and Americans - his family obtained the seats in 1969 upon demolition (the only other known set of five connected original MSG seats were donated by Abel to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1993). At 86" in total length and 31" in height (each seat is 18" across), all 5 solid wooden seats with slat construction are completely attached, with small brass number plates affixed to each, with the seats numbered #10 to #14. The underside of seat #14 also has "6C" stenciled for the section. While the seats show wear from use, they remains in especially good condition, with no obtrusive marks or damage, with the dark finish intact. These are the ultimate arena seats, ready for the most advanced NHL or Rangers collection. Please note, special shipping arrangements will be required due to the size and weight. A signed LOA from Allen Abel will accompany.
Covering the world's greatest sporting endeavors for half a century which included serving for a decade on Capitol Hill and in the briefing room of the White House, longtime journalist, sports columnist, producer and on-air television correspondent Allen Abel has traveled to over one hundred countries, witnessing epic battles and accomplishments from the press box; from Ali vs Fraser, to the Miracle On Ice, the genesis of Gretzky, to the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Winning six National Magazine awards for political, travel and sports writing as a contributor to numerous publications including Sports Illustrated and Maclean's, Abel was also an on-air host, narrator, writer or producer on dozens of documentaries for HBO, Discovery, National Geographic, Hockey Night in Canada, the CBC and others. Abel has also authored a number of non-fiction works including 'The Short Life of Hughie McLoon — A True Story of Baseball, Magic, and Murder'
We are pleased to offer this MSG original seat section from Abel's personal collection, originally obtained by his family in 1969 as longtime season ticket holders for the NY Americans and Rangers.
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