Don Bradman, 1934
An original Central Press press photograph capturing Don Bradman batting at the height of his powers, preserved with period newsroom markings and authenticated by PSA as a Type III photo.
An icon of sport, recorded in real time
Few sporting figures occupy the space Don Bradman does. By the mid-1930s he was already regarded as the defining cricketer of his era — a player whose records and dominance had elevated him beyond national hero status into something rarer: a global sporting phenomenon.
This photograph dates from 1934 and was issued for publication by Central Press Photos Ltd of London. Unlike later commemorative imagery or posed portraits, it is a working newsroom artefact — created for editorial circulation, handled for print, and preserved with the visible traces of its original purpose.
The artefact
The item is an original press photographic print, authenticated and encapsulated by PSA and classified as Type III. The image shows Bradman in full batting action, composed and balanced at the crease, with wicket and setting anchoring the scene firmly in competitive play.
As with the finest surviving press photographs, the value here is not simply visual. It lies in the combination of subject, period, and documentary authenticity — the sense that this is sport being recorded as it happened, rather than reconstructed later for nostalgia.
Front of PSA-authenticated Central Press press photograph showing Don Bradman batting, 1934.
Central Press and British sporting photojournalism
Central Press was one of Britain’s major photographic news agencies, supplying images to newspapers and publications across the UK and beyond. In the inter-war period, press photography played a central role in shaping how sporting greatness was seen and understood — long before television brought match footage into the home.
Bradman’s tours and performances were treated as major news, and photographs like this were distributed widely to meet demand. Surviving examples with intact provenance are far scarcer than their original print runs suggest, as most were used, archived, discarded, or lost to time.
The reverse and newsroom provenance
The reverse of the photograph bears the expected newsroom characteristics of a genuine inter-war press image: agency stamping, editorial handling marks, and caption remnants consistent with contemporary publication workflows. In this category, these are not distractions — they are the artefact’s fingerprint, affirming authenticity and period use.
Reverse showing Central Press agency marking and period editorial handling consistent with newspaper publication.
Why this photograph matters
This is not merely an image of Don Bradman. It is a contemporary record of how greatness was observed, documented, and shared at the time — a surviving artefact from the machinery of early twentieth-century sports journalism.
Within the CardHawk Vault it stands as an anchor piece: cricket history captured at peak intensity, preserved with provenance, and authenticated in a way that allows it to be collected with confidence.
Acquisition
This artefact forms part of the CardHawk Vault, a curated archive of historically significant sports and aviation material. Selected items from the Vault are available for acquisition via CardHawkUK, with ownership and transactions handled separately from the archival presentation.
View acquisition details on CardHawkUK →
PSA/DNA authentication enquiries
CardHawk offers specialist support for PSA/DNA authentication of original photographs, documents, and historically significant artefacts. PSA/DNA submissions can be complex, and costs vary depending on the nature, format, and provenance of the material.
If you have historically significant sports photography or related material you believe may be suitable for PSA/DNA authentication, we encourage you to get in touch for an initial review.