111. Incredible Framed 1888 Old Judge Advertising Poster Cutouts Transcending the sports collectibles market, the 1888 Old Judge advertising poster is one of the most coveted pieces in the sports memorabilia hobby. Featuring 26 identifiable players, the original poster is a gorgeous example of 19th Century lithography, advertising Old Judge Cigarettes and the cabinet photos that we know today as the N173 Old Judge cabinets.
Only two examples of the poster are known to have survived - a complete piece that is held in the collection of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown and a heavily restored example that resides in a private collection. That piece, despite having approximately the bottom third of the poster completely reconstructed (the original bottom third was missing), sold for $210,000 at auction in 2022. Like many 19th Century tobacco advertising posters, the artwork was elaborate and beautiful, expertly created and likely expensive to produce. In addition to the two surviving posters, player images occasionally surface that were cut from the posters long ago. Such cutouts typically make their way into private collections, as hobbyists enjoy the idea of owning even a small piece of the poster and often treat them as cards. Individual cutouts, on the rare occasion that they become available, typically fetch four-figure prices in any condition. A decade or so ago, a complete group of cutouts made their way to auction and sold for approximately $12,000. Presented here is the second complete group of cutouts to surface - 26 players, each carefully cut from the poster at some point and elegantly mounted in a large frame. Each of the cutouts is between 4 and 5” in height; each player cut meticulously and mounted symmetrically in five rows. The players, from left to right beginning with the top row, are Mike Tiernan, Hoss Radbourn (HOF), Ed Andrews, Ned Williamson, Pud Galvin (HOF), Roger Connor (HOF), Kid Madden, King Kelly (HOF), Gus Krock, Fred Dunlap, Tim Keefe (HOF), John Clarkson (HOF), Cap Anson (HOF), Hugh Duffy (HOF), George Miller, Al Myers, Danny Richardson, Dan Brouthers (HOF), John Ward (HOF), Dave Orr, Jim Whitney, Jerry Denny, Jack Glasscock, Bob Caruthers, Sam Thompson (HOF), and Charles Comiskey (HOF). The inclusion of Gus Krock among these cutouts is especially noteworthy. Krock is not featured on either of the known posters—
the one at the Baseball Hall of Fame or the one in the private collection. Pitcher Jim Tyng, who is featured on the two known posters, is not one of the cutouts in this frame. This implies that at least two distinct posters were made, one featuring Tyng and the other featuring Gus Krock. This discovery, which proves that at least two different posters were created, significantly raises the piece’s historical significance. This piece contains the only known proof of that and the only known image of Krock from the advertising poster. An extraordinarily significant piece, one of the only known examples of all 26 identifiable players from the N173 Old Judge advertising poster, including the only known example of Gus Krock. Carefully arranged and elegantly displayed, a tremendous display with enormous historical importance. MINIMUM BID: $2,500
FALL 2025 PREMIER AUCTION − CLOSES NOVEMBER 29, 2025 53
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