26. 1888 Fearnaught Studio Deacon White Cabinet (HOF) – Old Judge “Proof” – PSA FR 1.5 (Deacon White Estate)
One of several studios utilized by Goodwin & Co. to take photos used on the N172 and N173 Old Judge issues, the Fearnaught Photography studio of Indianapolis produced this photograph, used to create card #496-8 in the massive set, one of nine different poses of White featured on Old Judge cards. White is, of course, the most rare of all the Hall of Famers in the N172 Old Judge issue, one of the more scarce cards of any player. Old Judge cards and cabinets of White are highly prized, and the cabinets from his estate are extremely significant. A number of Fearnaught cabinets featuring different poses of White found their way into the hobby through his estate; this particular example originated with those sold at auction back in 2006. This is the third such example we have offered, the prior two were the objects of extremely spirited bidding. This example, freshly graded by PSA, is a spectacular one, with incredible sharpness and image con- trast and a clean mount. A spot of paper loss can be observed on the ornate reverse within the adver- tising area, really the sole culprit responsible for the lower grade. Our experience with these Deacon White cabinets is that all of them exhibit similar paper loss, clearly the result of scrapbook mounting. That same scrapbook helped preserve the quality of the image and mount; the result is an outstanding cabinet photo. An outstanding image of a recently-inducted 19th Century Hall of Famer, likely pro- duced as a proof and given directly to Deacon White by the studio. MINIMUM BID: $5,000
27. 1933 Goudey #149 Babe Ruth (HOF) – SGC EX 5
Ruth became one of the planet’s most photographed humans in the 1930s, thanks to his on-field excel- lence, growing list of product endorsements, and worldwide promotional tours for our pastime. Expert cameraman Charles Conlon captured several of the Babe’s best-known images, including this swing that Goudey made a key part of its biggest baseball set. Love of the Game is excited to offer any appealing example of baseball’s biggest star, let alone such a well-printed “Red Ruth” from 1933, one of Bambino’s top Goudey bubblegum cards. This one contains deep and satisfying front color, so rich that it’s “haunted’ by a ghost of that saturation on the reverse. (Damp fronts often transferred a hint of their wet ink to stacked sheets above.) Solid colors from that era can vary in quality, and this card delivers visual impact like something of a higher grade! The SGC EX 5 confirms this colorful execution, balanced light corner wear, and quality centering. Its red ink pass worked so well that small spots of surplus speckle its top border and Ruth’s cap. Light edge toning and red ink ghosting on the back could each originate from its original production process. One of Ruth’s best-known and most desirable cards in any grade, let alone in this eye-catching form. A superb mid-grade find. MINIMUM BID: $5,000
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