DON BRADMAN 'THE FIRST HUNDRED YEARS' LIMITED EDITION COMMEMORATIVE DISPLAY - 2008

OVERVIEW:
AN EXCEPTIONAL LIMITED EDITION COMMEMORATIVE DISPLAY CELEBRATING THE CENTENARY OF SIR DONALD BRADMAN'S BIRTH (1908-2008). THIS IS A MUSEUM-QUALITY PRESENTATION PIECE HONOURING ONE OF CRICKET'S GREATEST FIGURES AND THE MOST CELEBRATED AUSTRALIAN SPORTSMAN OF THE 20TH CENTURY. THE DISPLAY FEATURES AN ORIGINAL SYKES LONDON & FORBURY TEST CRICKET BAT SIGNED BY DON BRADMAN, ACCOMPANIED BY HISTORICAL PHOTOGRAPHS, BIOGRAPHICAL TEXT PANELS, AND PERIOD IMAGERY DOCUMENTING BRADMAN'S EXTRAORDINARY CRICKET CAREER.

SPECIFICATIONS:

THE BAT:
- ORIGINAL SYKES LONDON & FORBURY TEST CRICKET BAT, LEATHER-BOUND GRIP
- HAND-SIGNED BY DON BRADMAN IN BLACK INK ON THE LEATHER COVER
- MARKED 'WORLD RECORD' AND 'DON BRADMAN NSW AND AUSTRALIA XI'
- REPRESENTS THE BAT USED DURING BRADMAN'S TEST CRICKET CAREER
- LEATHER SHOWS NATURAL PATINA AND AGE-RELATED WEAR CONSISTENT WITH GENUINE VINTAGE SPORTING EQUIPMENT

DISPLAY COMPONENTS:
THE DISPLAY IS MOUNTED WITHIN A CUSTOM MAHOGANY FRAME WITH GLASS PANELS AND INCLUDES:
- FORMAL PORTRAIT OF DON BRADMAN IN HIS 1930 TEST BLAZER (TOP LEFT)
- INSTRUCTIONAL CRICKET PHOTOGRAPH DEMONSTRATING 'HOW TO PLAY CRICKET - THE HOOK' (CENTRE LEFT)
- ACTION PHOTOGRAPH OF BRADMAN EXECUTING THE COVER DRIVE (TOP RIGHT)
- PHOTOGRAPH OF THE MCG DURING A TEST MATCH (CENTRE RIGHT)
- PORTRAIT OF BRADMAN IN LATER YEARS (BOTTOM RIGHT)
- BIOGRAPHICAL TEXT PANELS PROVIDING HISTORICAL CONTEXT FOR EACH IMAGE
- CENTRAL DISPLAY OF THE SIGNED BAT
- CIRCULAR PORTRAIT MEDALLION OF BRADMAN AT BASE
- BRASS NAMEPLATE WITH BRADMAN'S SIGNATURE

CERTIFICATION AND PROVENANCE:
- LIMITED EDITION NUMBER 43 OF 100
- CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY SIGNED BY RING HORE, DIRECTOR OF THE BRADMAN FOUNDATION, AND ROD BOSMAN, DIRECTOR OF BOSMAN MEMORABILIA
- PRODUCED TO COMMEMORATE THE CENTENARY OF BRADMAN'S BIRTH AND THE 100 YEARS OF HIS LEGACY (1908-2008)
- ENDORSED BY THE BRADMAN FOUNDATION
- PROCEEDS FROM THE SALE SUPPORT THE BRADMAN FOUNDATION AND BRADMAN MUSEUM TRUST

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE:
SIR DONALD BRADMAN (1908-2001) REMAINS THE GREATEST BATSMAN IN CRICKET HISTORY. HIS TEST BATTING AVERAGE OF 99.94 RUNS PER INNINGS IS UNMATCHED AND REMAINS THE HIGHEST IN INTERNATIONAL CRICKET. BORN IN COOTAMUNDRA, NSW, BRADMAN REVOLUTIONISED BATTING TECHNIQUE AND ESTABLISHED RECORDS THAT HAVE ENDURED FOR NEARLY A CENTURY. HIS 1930 TEST BLAZER, FEATURED IN THIS DISPLAY, REPRESENTS THE PINNACLE OF HIS EARLY TEST CAREER. THE BAT DISPLAYED HERE IS A TANGIBLE CONNECTION TO HIS EXTRAORDINARY ACHIEVEMENTS ON THE CRICKET FIELD.

DIMENSIONS:
- HEIGHT: 115 CM
- WIDTH: 58 CM
- DEPTH: 20 CM

CONDITION: THE DISPLAY IS IN GOOD CONDITION. THE MAHOGANY FRAME SHOWS MINOR SURFACE WEAR AND NATURAL PATINA CONSISTENT WITH DISPLAY AND HANDLING. GLASS PANELS ARE INTACT AND CLEAR. THE LEATHER BAT COVER DISPLAYS NATURAL AGEING AND PATINA APPROPRIATE TO A GENUINE VINTAGE SPORTING ARTEFACT. ALL PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTS AND TEXT PANELS ARE INTACT AND LEGIBLE. THE BRASS NAMEPLATE IS SECURE. NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE OR RESTORATION IS EVIDENT.

PRESENTATION:
THIS IS A MUSEUM-QUALITY COMMEMORATIVE PIECE SUITABLE FOR SERIOUS CRICKET COLLECTORS, BRADMAN ENTHUSIASTS, AND INSTITUTIONS. THE DISPLAY COMBINES SPORTING HERITAGE WITH HISTORICAL DOCUMENTATION, MAKING IT BOTH AN INVESTMENT PIECE AND AN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE. THE LIMITED EDITION STATUS (43/100) AND OFFICIAL BRADMAN FOUNDATION ENDORSEMENT ENHANCE ITS COLLECTIBILITY AND SIGNIFICANCE.

NOTE: THIS LOT REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT PIECE OF AUSTRALIAN SPORTING HISTORY AND A TRIBUTE TO THE LIFE AND CAREER OF SIR DONALD BRADMAN, WHOSE INFLUENCE ON CRICKET AND AUSTRALIAN CULTURE REMAINS UNPARALLELED.

Item Size: Height: 145cm, Width: 35cm, Depth: 12cm, Weight: 26Kg

Condition: Good

656543+3

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