53 Bowman Reese

[Paul S]

1) Has it ever been established who the belly down player is underneath Reese?

2) Why is it such an iconic post-war card? I could quickly name some of my own reasons but that would preclude other comments. RULE: only ONE coment per reply. (I'm not really big on rules, but hey... :))

[bbcard1]

It's just the unique shot. Nice that it's a HOFer and a well executed set, but the shot is it.

[pclpads]

Pretty sure it is the only action shot in the set.

[ALR-bishop]

1) Toby Atwell :)
2) one of the first, if not first, modern action shot cards

[Bob Lemke]

I have heard that the sliding player is French Bordagary, which would make it quite an old photo in 1953.

[CW]

1) not sure

2) It's iconic because it's a piece of art on cardboard -- a perfectly framed action shot (albeit staged) of a HOFer in a highly collectable, attractive set.


more trivia on the card (this, according to legendary collector Anthony N.e.x from an old thread on another forum :) ).... "it is the only black and white image in the set- it was hand colored to use on the card."

[GoldenAge50s]

I love the '53 Bowman set & have it complete since buying the packs back in the day, but I've never understood the fascination w/ that card. It's a terrible grainy,blurry photo, the action is a thousand miles away and the players are unidentifiable. Nothing at all neat about that card for me!

[t206blogcom]

One of my favorite post-war cards for sure and one of my favorite players. Beautiful & iconic!

[ALR-bishop]

Say now, we can't have Mr Nex thinking he is legendary. No telling where that could lead :)

[Volod]

I think it's status derives from the kids who originally collected the set back in 1953. Many of them became influential in the hobby and emphasized the significance of certain cards that had been their favorites. I, myself, can recall briefly glimpsing the Reese card in another youngster's stack in that year, and it definitely left an impression on my fevered 8-year-old brain. Mostly, because it is the only true action shot in the set, as pointed out above, and things like that tend to excite kids for inexplicable reasons.

[CW]

Say now, we can't have Mr Nex thinking he is legendary. No telling where that could lead :)

LOL! I guess I added some "puffery" there. ;) :)



(although Anthony's helpfulness and willingness to share info are well known on the forums, and the same could be said for you, Al.)

[Paul S]

Thanks to all who have and will replied/reply. I agree with all and learned a few things.
My thoughts: Isn't it bizarre that you can't really make out Reese's face very well? It's like, you'd have to read the back of the card if you didn't already know who it was. I mean, as well as other "action" cards of the era,, because to me it was posed, but not like other action cards where a player is swinging a bat or making a catch. And darn, Reese does the splitz like an Olympic gold medal winner.
Maybe my favorite card from one of my favorite sets. Keep the replies coming.

BTW -- Nex and I used to purchase from the same dealer, although we didn't know each other then (and have still never met) from Goodwin Goldfadden of ADCO, way back when.

[Volod]

Anyone know if there is any actual evidence of the identity of the player on the ground? The uni number is not visible, and the face is not clear from that distance, so what is the speculation about Toby Atwell and Frenchy Bordagaray based on? The shot does appear to be staged in a spring training ballpark, so Bordagaray is a possible suspect, as he was with the Dodgers through 1945.

[Griffins]

isn't "legendary" another way of saying old?

This is what I've read about this card over the years:

It was a staged shot, done in spring training, before WWII, probably in 1941.

It's black and white and was hand colored for the card.


I know it's often cited as the greatest post war regular issued card of all time, but I don't agree. The lighting is crap, you can't see Pee Wee's face clearly, the sliding player (have no reason to doubt it's Frenchy) looks like he's trying to find a contact lens, and the corners are vignetted (darkened, like the lens shade was cutting into the frame). It just doesn't fit with the rest of the set.

BTW, there is another action shot in the set (sort of) and it does fit with the rest. There were 4 cards that weren't issued and were changed prior to the full printing. One of those is entitled Dodgers in Action, and it shows a play at home. I can't recall who was in it, but all 4 cards were offered in a SCP auction about 2001. A different card of Slaughter, Fain and one other player rounded out the quartet.

[ALR-bishop]

Anthony...Have there ever been any legendary "infamous" folks who are middle aged ?

Steve---I just made Atwell up after looking through other 53 cards for an opposing uniform and cap color like the one in the photo :o. But, most here seem to think the photo is older and staged, and if so it could just be a prior team mate

I have mentioned this before, but I had the opportunity to have lunch with Mr Reese once in St Louis while he was working as a promo guy for H & B. My wife and her father were shareholders and Reese delivered us some tickets from H & B for game 2 of the 1982 World Series. In hindsight, I wish I had thought to ask him about the card

[Hot Springs Bathers]

U love the entire 53 Bowman set but I have always felt that the 1952 Bowman Reese does receive enough attention. It is a classic pose!

[Volod]

U love the entire 53 Bowman set but I have always felt that the 1952 Bowman Reese does receive enough attention. It is a classic pose!

I'm with you, Mike. I love the '52's too. The '53's were almost too beautiful - as a kid, I wanted to safekeep them in a photo album. The '52's, however, were great stacked up 50-deep and wrapped with a couple of rubberbands.:D