First generation 20” x 24” silver gelatin photograph printed from the original 4” x 5” negative, showing John F. Kennedy in the Boston Red Sox dugout in late April 1946, admiring the bat of Detroit Tiger slugger Hank Greenberg as Red Sox players Eddie Pellagrini and Ted Williams look on. Politically staged in late April of Kennedy's 1946 Congressional 'primary' campaign showcasing one Protestant (Williams), two Catholics (JFK and Pellagrini) and one Jew (Greenberg). The 1946 season was the first year that all three ballplayers could return to baseball after spending the past three years in military service during WWII—Greenberg (Army), Pellagrini (U.S. Navy), and Williams (U.S. Navy and Marines). Kennedy’s 'war hero' status was a big contributor to this Congressional race, so a photo op with three veterans like these three could only help JFKs image.
* This exact photo is featured in a double-page 'spread' in the upcoming opening chapter in this month’s Life Magazine JFK 'special edition' commemorating JFK’s 100th birthday on May 29, 2017. A classic image in very fine museum-quality condition of Kennedy with two Hall of Famers Williams and Greenberg.
