The COPYRIGHTS and transparencies for 12 incredible classic photographs of Mickey Mantle taken by photographer Ozzie Sweet during the 50s and 60s. Also included are high resolution digital images of each photograph/transparency. Select photographs also include Roger Maris, Whitey Ford, Billy Martin and Mickey Jr. alongside The Mick.

Ozzie Sweet is arguably one of the top three greatest sports photographers of all time.  In a distinguished career spanning over 50 years. His career began after he sent a series of “simulated action” photographs depicting war scenes to Newsweek. His series was published on the Oct. 12, 1942, cover, but he was later hired as the magazine's chief photographer.

His images have graced the cover of over 1,800 magazines including Newsweek, Look, Collier's, Saturday Evening Post, Time, TV Guide and dozens of others.  He is especially known for his photos that were published in SPORT Magazine in the 1950s and 60s.  Some of his subjects include Albert Einstein, Ingrid Bergman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Joe DiMaggio, Grace Kelly, Jimmy Durante and hundreds of athletes the likes of Rocky Marciano, Bob Cousy, Roberto Clemente, Jim Brown and Jack Nicklaus. 

Mickey Mantle was one of Ozzie Sweet's favorite subjects to photograph and Mickey loved working with him.  During many photo sessions with Mickey, Ozzie would set up planks of wood across two sawhorses and have Mickey stand on the planks.  Ozzie would then squat on the ground, looking up with his camera to get the beautiful images of Mickey with the blue sky background!  Sweet recalled seeing Mantle at one spring training and Mantle yelled, "Hey Ozz!  What kind of stuff are we going to do this year?"  Included in this collection are a few of these iconic examples of Sweet’s signature“simulated action” technique.

According to the New York Times, "Sweet's signature images from the 1940s through the 1950s and into the 1960s, many in the fierce hues of increasingly popular color film that emulated the emergent Technicolor palette of American movies, helped define — visually, anyway — an era."

These transparencies last appeared in auction in January of 2001 (over 20 years ago).  At that time, they were already over 40 years old.  The colors in the transparencies had aged over the years.  The blue skies had turned to pink skies, etc.  There were also numerous specs and artifacts that had developed onto the transparency film. 

Luckily, the current owner took the proper measures to preserved, professionally scanned, digitally cleaned and color corrected. After which some prints were made and sent to Ozzie Sweet to be signed.  Upon receiving the prints, Ozzie called him and was amazed at the quality of the digital restoration.  Ozzie told him that it looked like the photos were just taken yesterday!

Below is a brief description of the twelve photos: 

Photo #1 - Cover shot for the May 1967 issue of SPORT Magazine as well as the September 1994 issue of Tuff Stuff Magazine.

Photo #2 - Cover shot for the September 1964 issue of SPORT Magazine as well as the March 2004 issue of Tuff Stuff Magazine.  

Photo #3 – One of the most iconic images ever taken of Mickey Mantle. 

Photo #4 – In 1956, (Mickey's Triple Crown year) Ozzie Sweet arranged for a deep-sea fishing trip, for Mickey Mantle, Billy Martin, Whitey Ford and Bob Grim.  This black-and-white photo is from that fishing trip. 

Photos #5-6 & 10 – Two simulated action shots while Mickey posed on the planks. 

Photo #7- Beautiful shot of Yankee sluggers Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris taken a couple years after their historic home run chase of 1961. 

Photos #8-9 – Two candid close-up shots of Mickey.  Ozzie liked to take powerful figures like Mantle and have them grab their earlobe.  Ozzie felt it made the person appear more friendly and intimate.  

Photo #11 – Great shot (circa mid-50's) of Whitey Ford, Mickey and Billy Martin at Yankee Stadium. 

Photo #12 – Shot of Mickey and Mickey Jr taken on Ft. Lauderdale Beach for a Boy's Life photo shoot. 

Photos included may show the same transparency more than once. There is at least one transparency of all 12 photos.

This is an online only sale. Items may be viewed upon appointment in New York City.

Notice to bidders: More detailed condition reports and additional photographs are available by request. The absence of a condition report does not imply that the lot is in excellent condition. Please message us through the online bidding platform or call Guernsey's at 212-794-2280 to request a more thorough condition report.