Versatile Native American athlete (1887–1953), widely regarded as the finest all-around athlete of the twentieth century, who won two Olympic gold medals and excelled in football, baseball, and basketball. His Olympic medals were stripped from him for an ostensible violation of the amateur status rule (Thorpe had earlier played minor-league baseball) but were posthumously restored to him in 1983. Signed book: Jim Thorpe’s History of the Olympics. First edition. Los Angeles: Wetzel Publishing, 1932. Hardcover, 5.5 x 8.25, 336 pages. Signed on the title page in fountain pen, “Jim Thorpe,” with the date notation “8-9-32, L. A.” in another hand. The book is also signed on the first free end page by its original owner, “Marshall Boone, U. S. A. Olympic Village, Los Angeles, Cal. 8-6-32,” and on the second free end page by eight others, including Ben Eastman, John J. Magee, Hugo Bezdek, Bob Jones, Johnny Black, Bob Maxwell, Harry Burdick, and James A. Bausch, Boone adding information under each signature. In very good condition, with tape toning around Thorpe’s signature from previous application of protective plastic (also visible on several other pages), mild dampstaining to bottom of pages, slightly weakened spine, crease to back cover, and some light cover wear. Auction LOA Steve Grad/PSA/DNA and R&R COA.
