Shalom Lee Balterman,Always a good guy! (c) J.Pritikin

Lee, With Paul from Daiter Gallery and myself in the middle.


A recent photo of Lee (c) J Pritikin

Lee and his favorite pastime, behind his Leica camera (c)J Pritikin

Chicago:March 10th,2012

Today, I spent a few moments with my friend Lee, he had slipped into a coma and now it's just a matter of hours. As I stated on my blog, how I met Lee shortly after the final out of the 1984 Cubs/Padres Play-Offs. Since that time... we shared many hours at Cubs games,bringing in a few New Years and shared quality time, and we always talked about the future. His life was a labor of love and his stories endless until now. In my many years roaming the "Friendly Confines"of Wrigley Field, I had the pleasure of meeting a multitude of interesting fans, and looking back... Lee and Carmella Hartigan were the best of my friends that I ever knew. We always had fun, often stopping at the old Zephyr after a game... or taking long rides along the lake up to Highland Park or going out to the Arboretum, or to visit our old neighborhoods. We were the Tinkers,to Evers to Chance "Combo of friends". I liked the story he always told someone he just met... That he could of been a Major League ballplayer, except for one thing... he had no talent! However, he had great talent as a photographer spending over 50 years as a Time-Life,Sports Illustrated,Forbes and freelance photographer... and a few Life Magazine covers too boot! He loved Chicago, his parents, his friends and being behind his camera. He was well represented by Daiter Gallery. I am so lucky to have known him since 1984. He would of celebrated his 92 Birthday in July.

A Salute to Lee Balterman 3/31/11 by:Jerry Pritikin

Top Picture and 2nd Lee Balterman with Nurse Misha, 3rd Lee at the Apollo 11 Astronaut Parade and 4th Lee Between friends and Hall of Famers Ernie Banks and Billy Williams






(Chicago March 31,2011) I spent time with my good friend Lee Balterman today, on the eve of the 2011 Cubs Baseball Season. I first met Lee on the last day of the 1984 "ALMOST" Cubs season, and today we spoke about the good times we have had since. Many of times we spent New Years, Opening Days and 4th of July and often with our sidekick Carmella Hartigan. After Carmella died in 2002, we have hardly spent time at Wrigley. A few years ago, Lee had a stroke and it looked like he might be meeting up with Carmella, Jack Brickhouse and Harry Caray and my dad in the Heavenly Confines. However, be that as it may... he has bounced back like a cat with nine lives. He gets around with a wheel chair, but his mind is a sharp as a Ginsu Knife! In the past few years he has spent much of his times putting his thousands and thousands of negative and slides in order. He has had shoots with several Presidents,Astonauts, Movie Stars, Athletes and street people. Over the last 40 years he has spent many shoots on Milwaukee Avenue, showing the great changes during that time. Lee has had several succesful shows at Chicago's Daiter's Gallery. At 90, he does not use glasses and still takes his camera with him whenever he leaves his apartment at the Kenwood Senior Assistant Living on Sheridan Road. I have noticed that over the past few years, that Lee gets more hits then most of my postings, and for sure, more than the Cubs on most days. If you have any questions or comments that you would like me to give to Lee, please do. I am one lucky fellow, over the years Lee has documented many years of me as the Bleacher Preacher in and around the Friendly Confines. Tomorrow, along with Lee, we will not be at the Cubs Opener... but I'm not complaining. I spent on the avaerage 5 hours at each of the thousand games I witnessed since the mid 80s. Please come back and spend some times in my archives, and later this year... I will be featured in an upcoming documentary about my photographs of San Francisco in the 1970s.
Cheers for Now... Jerry

Coming Soon... 2 Openings Lee Balterman Jerry Pritikin

The latest about Lee Balterman. He'll be the other half of a 2 man show at Chicago's Daiter Gallery this summer. Lee is picking out negatives for the exhibit. Daiter recently moved to new location. Lee hits 90 in July, and enjoys his new home at the Kenwood. He will be at my Opening, at Roosevelt University's Gage Gallery on Thursday June 3rd. It runs until July 30th. Michael Ensdorf the Director, and founder of the Gallery is selecting 40 images, b&w and color of the 1970s in San Francisco, with special attention given 1976, '77 1978, including Harvey Milk, the early gay rights movement and gay sports. The official announcement for the show will not be made until May. The story behind the show came about... and behind the images in the show will be featured on this blog in the near future. I hope to have a "Harvey Milk" Tribute ready for "Harvey Milk Day" on youtube.
If you are in the Chicago area during Pride Month(until July 30)... please take the time to visit the Gage Gallery, and tell your friends who maybe interested.

Another Opening, Another show and Lee Balterman is there!

Lee Balterman felt at home at the Opening of Daiter Gallery for photographer Martin Parr. It was also the first exhibit at Daiter's new location, 230 W, Superior St. A few years ago, Lee had a very successful showing of his images of Chicago at Daiter . Lee enjoyed seeing many of his old friends, as well as shooting them,too! It is great to see Lee enjoying his favorite pastime...

Another Opening,Another Show... Jan.29,2010. Daiter Gallery Chicago

Lee Balterman is Back!

I am glad to report, that my good friend Lee Balterman is back home at the Kenwood, in Chicago. At 89, his wit is a sharp as ever. Lee and I will be featured in an upcoming documentary "Keep the Faith" about the Chicago Cubs and their fans later this summer.

Photo:J Pritikin 2010

Lee Balterman Update

For the friends and fans of Lee, here is the latest good news. He is at the Birchwood Plaza Rehab Center. He is making good progress... but it will be awhile before he's shooting "The Streets of Chicago".
If you can... send him a card:

Lee Balterman
% Birchwood Plaza
1426 West Birchwood St.
Chicago, Il. 60626

Lee Balterman... In my thoughts (FOR LEE'S DEATH CHECK THIS SITE FOR MARCH-2012)

LEE BALTERMAN FAN...

PLEASE NOTE, SINCE THIS STORY RAN- I HAVE POSTED SEVERAL STORIES ABOUT LEE BALTERMAN, INCLUDING LEE'S DEATH CAN BE FOUND ON THIS SITE FOR MARCH 2012 , AND BY LOOKING UP PREVIOUS POST IN MY ARCHIVE LABEL SECTION, UNDER LEE'S NAME. J.P. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE EMAIL ME @ jerrypritikin@yahoo.com

The profile image of me on this site was taken by famed photographer Lee Balterman, who only has 2 Life Magazine covers to his credit, and was a staff photographer for Time-Life & Sports Illustrated just to name a few. I usually play phone tag with him and vice versa to see what is on Lee's agenda. It is seldom that we ever plan ahead. However, tomorrow we had a date with partners of a well known sports auction house in the East. Lee was going to sell his sports collection, and for the past year plus, he was getting it into some kind of order from the past 50 years. I first met Lee just after the final outs of the Cubs/ Padres 1984 N.L. Play-offs... the game was in San Diego... but here in Chicago, Cubs fans hung around the Wrigleyville sports bars, especially Murphy's Bleachers. The Pennant went down the drain, when First Baseman Leon Durham booted a play that led to the Cubs downfall. I was there with my life size Voodoo Doll... dressed in the Padre's ugly uniform.



The rainy afternoon added at least 20 ponds to my cotton stuffed friend. I was interviewed by USA TODAY... and as the reporter asked me my thoughts on the Cubs loss... and on "Q" a tear came to my eye. It was the first place nationally that I was tabbed "The Bleacher Preacher". A few hours later, I was still on Addison, near the Tents that popped up containing the latest "Cubs" gear, selling at better than half off, that including Pennants and T-shirts announcing The 1984 World Series Cubs Edition, that became instant collectables. It was there, that Lee was shooting the aftermath of their final game of the year. Lee took a few photos of me... then we walked towards the #36 bus. Then we talked Cubs, Chicago, and photography for most of the next 29 years...

About 3 years ago I had read in a newspaper about an auction house that bought up a famed early sports photographer's collection. And I sent them contact information for Lee... but be that as it may... they never contacted him. Then last month I was meeting Lee to celebrate his 89th birthday... and he handed me a copy of the letter I had sent to that auction house. I resent it, and this time they called back within a few minutes... and was able to set up a date to see Lee's collection. Well... that was to be tomorrow. For the past month, Lee has been working to put it into some kind of order... mostly baseball, but he also shot Mohammed Ali, Sonny Liston and 40 years ago took photos for Life of Buzz Aldrin's wife. Last night, I received a message that Lee was in Northwestern Hospital... and this morning I found out he had a stroke. I just got back from visiting him... and he is partially paralyzed... but he able to speak and recall... and we hope soon for his complete recovery. I am posting a few of Lee's images...
Get Well Soon Lee!



Carmella Hartigan, Margie and Lee circa about 2001