Emmet Kelly and his depiction as the tragic clown "Weary Willie" is one of the more iconic figures in both the clown world and to Brooklyn Dodgers fans everywhere. So, it is my pleasure to share with you a couple of vintage photographs of Emmett Kelly at Ebbets Field that are currently available on auction at REA.
For decades Kelly headlined at Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus, but when he took a year off in 1956 to join the Brooklyn Dodgers as their mascot is when his legacy in Baseball took off. As you can imagine, transforming "Weary Willie" into the Brooklyn Dodgers Bum was an easy transition. After all, Dodger fans had already adopted the "Bum" image for the team. So, fans both young and old welcomed him with open arms.
Featured above is a fantastic sepia-toned photograph of Emmett signing an autograph for a young fan within the bowels of Ebbets Field. (Auction Link) Below is another photograph of Kelly standing at attention for the national anthem in the Dodgers dugout. (Auction Link)
BTW, both of these photos once belonged in the personal collection of former Dodgers pitcher Clem Labine.
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