10. Incredible 1920s Multi-Signed Autograph Book w/Ruth, Cobb & W. Johnson (HOF – 243 Signatures) – PSA/DNA
ducer’s News , where he reminisced about his hobby and included some photos of individual album pages – the pages that remain intact in this very book. The 243 signatures included herein feature some of the greatest players and figures ever to play the game. They also include many names lost to history, including lower-level League Park employees. A complete list of the names included can be found on the website listing for the piece, with highlights including Home Run Baker, Ty Cobb (signed “Tyrus R. Cobb”) , Eddie Collins, Hugh Duffy, Red Faber, Goose Goslin, Harry Heilmann, Waite Hoyt, Travis Jackson, Walter Johnson , George Kelly, Fred- dy Lindstrom, Herb Pennock, Sam Rice, Babe Ruth , Ray Schalk, Joe Sewell, Al Simmons, George Sisler, Billy Southworth, Tris Speaker ,
Autograph books are among the most interesting – and most fre- quently destroyed – historical artifacts in memorabilia collecting. Popular in the first half of the 20th Century, these multi-page books were often filled with signatures of popular athletes and celebrities as autograph collecting became a popular hobby. Youngsters would wait outside team hotels, stadium exits, and anywhere players were known to congregate, in hopes of filling their albums with a few more signatures. And a century later, autograph albums have be- come the target of hobby sellers looking to cut out pages or indi- vidual signature cuts for slabbing. Indeed, we seldom encounter a vintage autograph album without a few pages missing. But occasionally, we come across a true gem, and we are thrilled to present this one: a full, intact autograph album chock full of signa- tures obtained in 1922 and 1923 by a young collector named John White, who grew up in Cleveland and caught the autograph bug as a boy, “lying in wait” around League Park with his autograph book. In those two years, White accumulated quite a collection – a total of 243 signatures grace the book, which White cherished and took care of, eventually passing it down for his family to enjoy. It is a truly spectacular document of baseball at the dawn of the live ball era with a host of important signatures, including budding superstar Babe Ruth. To add to the incredible provenance of the book, White penned an article in the April, 1977 edition of the trade magazine Grain Pro-
Bill Terry, Ed Walsh and Hack Wilson .
The book has been extraordinarily well-preserved, the signatures largely bold and strong. However, it is also more than a century old, the paper having softened with age, the binding weakening, and the pages exhibiting some wear and toning. It is being offered here with all its provenance – including the original padded mailing envelope in which it has been stored, a typewritten list of all the players from its original owner, as well as the copy of Grain Producer’s News that features White’s article about the book. It is our sincere hope that the winning bidder is a collector who recognizes this extraordinary piece of history not just for the value of its signatures, but for the his- torical importance of the piece – someone who will keep the book intact, as it is, itself, a piece of history. Full LOA from PSA/DNA. A more complete list of names included in the book is as follows: Nick Altrock, Jas P. Austin, J.C. Bagby, Frank “Home Run” Baker (HOF), Johnny Bassler, Billy Bayne, P.B. Bedgood, John H. Berg- er, Frank Biarver, Josh Billings, Max Bishop, H. Blankenship, Dan Boone, J.B. Brillhart, H.G. Bronnkie, Frank L. Bruggy, Jimmie Burke, Owen Bush, Denny Burns, George Burns, Frank Calloway, Leon Cadore, Ray Caldwell, Virgil Cheeves, Ollie Chill, Danny Clark, Sumpter Clarke, Tyrus R. Cobb (HOF), Burt Cole, Eddie Collins (HOF), John Collins, John F. Collins, Pat Collins, Rip Collins, Har- ry Courtney, George Cutshaw, J.L. Davenport, George Dauss, Dave
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