Catalogue for the auction of
Cricket, Football, Golf & Sporting Memorabilia
To be held on Friday, Saturday & Sunday
4th, 5th & 6th July 2025
Lot 1131
Estimate: £400/600
Edward Mills Grace. Gloucestershire, M.C.C. & England 1870-1896. Early large original sepia studio posed photograph of Grace in full cricket attire and wearing a cap, aged 21. The photograph, taken in 1862, shows Grace standing in front of a wicket holding a cricket ball with studio scene backdrop of a pavilion and spectators. The photograph measures 8.5”x11” and is mounted to original photographers mount, overall 11”x15”. Minor staining and spotting to mount not affecting the image, minor wear to corner extremities and irregular trimming to some edges otherwise in good/very good condition. An excellent early image of a young E.M. Grace, previously sold by Knights as Lot 1 in the E.M. Grace sale of 4th July 2015, this image being reproduced on the front cover of the auction catalogue.
A similar image appears opposite page 40 of ‘Edward Mills Grace. Cricketer’ by F.S. Ashley-Cooper 1916. E.M. Grace made 314 first-class appearances and played in one Test match, against Australia in 1880, the first Test to be played in England. This photograph and that of the following lot of George Tarrant depict the two players in the same studio setting. Both players travelled with George Parr’s XI on the 1863/64 tour to Australia, the second English team to visit Australia.