Robert Pershing Wadlow was born on Feb. 22, 1918, in Alton, Illinois and grew to become the tallest person in recorded history. His height was 8’ 11” and his weight reached 439 pounds at the time of his death in 1940 at the age of 22. His great size and continued growth in adulthood were due to hypertrophy of his pituitary gland, which resulted in an abnormally high level of human growth hormone. His shoe size was an eye-popping 37. His death was the result of contracting an infection from a faulty leg brace that irritated his ankle during a professional appearance on July 4, 1940, at the Manistee National Forest Festival in Michigan. Though he was treated with a blood transfusion and surgery, complications set in due to an autoimmune disease and he died in his sleep 11 days later.

This lot features a vintage, 1930’s era real photo postcard showing Wadlow standing next to his average-sized father, Harold Franklin. The glossy 3.5" by 5.5" photo includes Wadlow’s facsimile signature on the bottom right corner. His authentic signature appears on the back of the postcard and has been certified by both PSA/DNA and JSA. Still in good condition, the signed postcard is encapsulated in a PSA/DNA holder.