Lot Essay
At the age of 16, Jackie Robinson enrolled at John Muir Technical high school after graduating from Washington Junior High School in the Pasadena area of California. Young Jack showed incredible promise as a young athlete and was encouraged by his older brothers Frank and Mack to participate on the high school track team. Mack himself finished second to Jesse Owens in the 200m race at the 1936 Olympics and is credited as one of Jackie's biggest inspirations in his athletic career. The yearbook belonged to Arthur Fuller (Class of 1937) who was a friend of Jack Robinson's and was a member of the track team as well. Towards the end of the album, each track athlete is pictured with Robinson's portrait signed in black fountain pen. "Jack Robinson" signature rates 8/9 out of 10. Spiral bound yearbook remain fully intact with additional signatures from Fuller's classmates scattered throughout. Additional freshmen class group image appears in the yearbook with Jackie Robinson included but very minimally visible due to size. A small population of Robinson signed collegiate yearbooks have entered the marketplace over the years with a few other 1936 and 1937 high school examples as well. We are aware of only one other inferior 1935 example which was signed by Robinson on the freshmen class group photo rather than the portrait image within the offered example. Robinson's significance within the history of American sports, popular culture, and the Civil Rights Movement is, in total, without equal. Exceptional signature rarity dating to the inception of Jackie Robinson's organized athletic career being offered for the first time publicly from Arthur Fuller's descendants. Includes full LOA from PSA/DNA and letter of provenance from Fuller's descendant: Yearbook: EX, Signature: NM/MT-MT