STEELY EYES!!!...When Charles Conlon captured his most iconic photograph of Detroit’s Ty Cobb sliding into third base, upending New York’s Jimmy Austin, Lou Gehrig was only a toddler of 4 years old. Both figures, however, would go on to positively impact the baseball world and become two of the most significant figures of Major League Baseball during the 1920s and ‘30s. On-field photography was not ubiquitous until Charles Conlon set up next to the diamond, snapping candid photos of players and ultimately catching the first “in-action” photograph with Cobb and Austin. Turning his hobby into a career, Conlon had a knack for catching players in their warm ups and otherwise reticent pre game rituals. Lou Gehrig, on the other hand, when signed by the New York Yankees in 1923, was tapped as the next Babe Ruth. Still a mama’s boy living at home with his parents, Gehrig quickly progressed to become the best first baseman in the business, not to mention a workhorse. When he took over for Wally Pipp at first on June 1, 1925, he did not relinquish the position for 14 years, setting a then-record of 2,130 consecutive games played, before taking himself out on May 2, 1939. Perhaps the most tragic figure in MLB history (or any sport), Gehrig ultimately succumbed to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the disease that tapped his energy, leading to the end of his streak, and is colloquially known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. The Iron Horse played 17 seasons with the Yankees, hit 494 home runs, drove in 1,995 runs and batted .340 for his career. He won two American League MVP awards, was named to seven All-Star games and won seven World Series. Conlon caught a solemn Lou Gehrig with this extraordinarily captivating image of his eyes, showing a youthful and naïve slugger, now among the game’s most dynamic players, including Ruth himself. This 5" x 7" Type 1 close-up presents display weathering and minor creasing around the borders and features a still-attached Underwood & Underwood caption on the back. A small half-inch tear is evident on the left border, but there is not a single defect on this breathtaking image that detracts from the intensity and resolute stare from the Iron Horse. Dated “10/4/27”, Conlon snapped this image one day prior to the opening of the 1927 World Series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Crowned MVP for the 1927 season, Gehrig went 4-for-13 in the four-game sweep of the Buccos.