A CURATED SELECTION OF GREAT CARDS
43. Rare 1888 Conly Studios John Clarkson (HOF) Photo League Schedule Card
44. 1888 N173 Old Judge Cabinets #149-2 Buck Ewing (HOF) – Rare Dark Mount – PSA A
Extremely rare 1988 National League schedule that features an actual photograph of Hall of Famer John Clarkson, with lettering underneath the image identical to that of the N338-2 Hess “Big League” issue, to the point that some feel the Hess issue may have been produced by Conly or by the Boston print shop responsible for producing the schedule, Alfred Mudge & Son. This piece is extraordinarily rare, with only a handful of examples known to exist, all featuring Clarkson. The
Buck Ewing is arguably the most sought-after 19th Century Hall of Famer among collectors; his N172 and N173 issues are highly prized among advanced hobbyists and investors alike. Arguably the best player of his era, his immense popularity makes the demand for his cards consistently strong. As one of the era’s most popular figures, his N173 cabinets are among the more “commonly found” today: we place quotes around that phrase because all Old Judge
well-constructed card folds out to reveal the complete NL schedule for 1888, with the Boston schedule printed on the reverse, along with some local Ivy League games. Not part of a set, the piece was produced as a joint advertising piece for both Conly Studios and Alfred Mudge & Son Printers, and only featured this image of Clarkson. In a few cases, examples of the photographic portion of the schedule have been discovered trimmed away, to resemble a card. At least two such examples have made their way into SGC holders. This example is far more desirable, because it contains the entire schedule. The photo itself is in outstanding condition, with the schedule itself creating a finished size of 3 3/4” x 6”. The piece is printed on heavy stock, and exhibits some mild surface wear and age-related surface wear, along with some very minor corner wear and foxing, notable at the top right. A small area on the reverse exhibits some very light staining adhesive residue, likely due to clear tape. The entire piece remains in outstanding overall condition. Probably the finest known facial images of Clarkson, and one of the more rare 19th Century pieces we have handled, with only a few examples known.
cabinets – even the “commonly found” ones – are rare.
What makes this particular example exponentially more rare than the typical N173 is the brown mount. While the majority of N173 cabinets have yellow mounts, examples have been found with brown, black, pink, and red mounts. It is theorized that these colored mounts were issued only in 1888 and in limited supply even in that year. Surviving examples are extraordinarily rare today. This example, which boasts a clear image with some minor foxing at the left edge, has been graded AUTHENTIC by PSA on a recent submission. Though PSA does not provide grader notes on AUTHENTIC cards, previous submissions lead us to believe that the assessment is due to loss of the brown color on the reverse, which has, with time, chipped away. Some pencil writing and paper remnants and loss are observed on the back, likely from long-ago scrapbook removal (likely responsible for the color loss as well). Regardless, an incredible card, exceptionally rare – the kind of card it is extremely unlikely to find in a higher grade.
MINIMUM BID: $2,500
MINIMUM BID: $3,000
LOVEOFTHEGAMEAUCTIONS.COM 36
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator