Folks, I'm at a loss for words.  In the next few paragraphs, you will see me use words like "incredible,"  "spectacular," "fabulous," "gorgeous," and "pristine" to describe this color photo, but these words fail to capture its' breath-taking beauty.

This is absolutely the most incredible color photo of Shibe Park in the world.  

When you hold this color photo in your hand, you will almost be able to smell the cigars, beer, and popcorn underneath the mildewed stands of this old, fading ballpark.... a ballpark where programs were 15 cents and the hot dog man bore the heavy burden of that container of hot water containing those delicious Formost kosher hot dogs.  When you gaze into this photo it will absolutely envelop you, and you will be back in the ballpark where you spent your childhood, next to your dad or brother, in all probability watching the hapless Phillies blow another game.   But somehow it just doesn't matter because there's no place on earth you'd rather be.   

And you can be there again when you buy this  spectacular 12 x 18 color photo from the Luber Collection of Shibe Park Photos.  This is a first generation color copy, produced from the original 35 mm color slide taken by my brother in 1963.  The slides from this collection have been tucked away for almost 40 years in a slide tray and were only recently rediscovered.  The slides were all in pristine condition, and the color prints are absolutely gorgeous. 

Buy now and receive the following bonus material to go along with the photo:

Bonus #1!   A signed certificate of authenticity describing the date and circumstances of the game and the situation depicted in the photo.  This document will certify that the photo is an authorized, genuine first generation copy produced by the owner of the original photo.

Bonus #2!  You will also receive a separate document providing the starting line ups, the inning by inning play by play, and the box score from this game.

Bonus #3! You will also receive a copy of a write up of the game from the New York Times.

The Story Behind The Luber Collection

The date is September 1, 1963, less than three months before our innocence will be shattered forever by the assassination of President Kennedy.  But for now, and for a while longer, all is well with the world.

Future Hall of Famer Stan "The Man" Musial has announced that he will retire at the end of the year, and the Cardinals are in town to play the Phillies.  

My brother is 15 and I am 12.  We hop on the 59 bus in Northeast Philadelphia and take it to the Frankford elevated.  We get the train to the Somerset station, and take the number 54 bus to 21st and Lehigh.  It's a beautiful summer day, and we are not going to miss Stan the Man's last appearance at Connie Mack Stadium.

Because this is to be Stan Musial's last game ever at Shibe Park / Connie Mack Stadium, my brother brings his camera along to take pictures of the game, and he takes a series of spectacular color shots from our seats in the upper deck behind home plate.

There are 17,575 people on hand to see Musial's last appearance at Shibe Park -- six thousand more than the Phillies' average attendance that year.

This particular shot is the best of the series -- the crown jewel in the Luber Collection -- the kind of shot previously only available in artists' lithographs.  And I should add that the lithographs that are available on the market contain many inaccuracies in their renderings of Shibe Park.

But you don't need to buy the lithograph, because now you can own the real McCoy.

This Picture

This picture was taken in the top of the third inning, at 2:26 P.M. according to the Longines clock on the scoreboard.  Stan Musial, #6, can be seen walking near second base.   Phillies catcher Bob Oldis, #10, is headed to the mound to talk to pitcher Chris Short..  Musial has just hit a double, his first of two hits during the game.  Curt Flood, #21, is waiting to come to bat, standing just behind home plate.  There is one out.  

The scoreboard is incredibly clear in this shot -- everything on the scoreboard can be easily read with the naked eye.  You can see the entire Phillies and Cardinals line ups -- uniform numbers, positions, and batting orders.  You can see the detailed box score of the game in progress, as well as the scores of all the other games in progress.

The Cardinals line up is as follows:

The Phillies line up is as follows:

The billboards on the outfield wall and roof can be easily read with the naked eye.  The Philco billboard on the roof says, "New for 63, Noiseless Air Conditioners."  (Philco eventually went on to be a noiseless company, if you know what I mean.)

With a magnifying glass, you can make out a Pittsburgh Paint sign in the distance (beyond center field) and a Bunting sign in the distance (beyond right field).  The buildings outside the ball park are clearly visible.

With a magnifying glass, the words "Purity, Body, and Flavor" on the Ballantine Beer logo on the scoreboard can be read.

The red seats in the lower half of the upper deck in left field are clearly visible.

The outfield distance signs -- 420 to left center, 447 to center, and 405 to right center -- are clearly visible.  The word "Philco" under the 405 sign can be seen.  This is where the daily Philco lucky numbers were posted.

The scorekeeper's hole in the scoreboard (underneath the Ball sign) is visible.  The scorekeeper would look through here to get the umpire's ball / strike call.  

The yellow stripes on the outfield wall delineating whether a ball is a home run are clearly visible.

Oh, yeah...in case you were wondering.....the Cardinals won the game, 7-3, and Cardinals pitcher Curt Simmons (formerly with the Phillies) hit a triple. 

Specifications:

• Image is copyrighted by Alan Luber and Phil Luber and may not be reproduced
• Photo Suitable for Matting 
• Shipped flat via UPS (except to Hawaii and Alaska), so no P.O. Boxes