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Primary sourcePhotographc. 1920

Babe Ruth2

Irwin, La Broad, & Pudlin · c. 1920

A full-length studio portrait of Babe Ruth in Yankees uniform, taken around 1920, with his facsimile signature on the print.

A studio portrait of Ruth made at the start of his famous Yankees career, distributed to fans.

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Black-and-white full-length studio portrait of a man in a striped baseball uniform and cap with a large N-style logo, holding a wooden bat on his shoulder against a painted backdrop. Signature reads Yours truly Babe Ruth.
Irwin, La Broad, & Pudlin, portrait of Babe Ruth, c. 1920. Library of Congress.

About this source

What it is

This is a black-and-white studio photograph by Irwin, La Broad, & Pudlin showing Babe Ruth standing in his striped baseball uniform, holding a bat over his shoulder, with a facsimile of his signature reading 'Yours truly "Babe" Ruth' printed on the image. It is held by the Library of Congress and dates to around 1920.

Why it matters

This portrait was made just as Ruth joined the New York Yankees and became a national celebrity. Studio portraits like this were distributed widely to fans and the press, helping build the public image of Ruth as baseball's biggest star. It shows how photography and marketing worked together to create sports celebrity in the early twentieth century.

Look closer

  • Why might a studio, rather than a stadium, have been chosen for this portrait?
  • What does the printed signature add to the photograph's purpose?
  • How does a posed studio image differ from an action shot of a player?

This photograph is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Babe Ruth on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Home Run Record Bats Display

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