Reward: Confirmation of existence of dust jacket for Won in the Ninth

[baseballart]

Ted posted a reward for confirmation of a T206 Cobb bat off black Lennox on the card side.

Here, I'm offering a similar reward for anyone who can provide a scan of a dust jacket for Mathewson's Won in the Ninth

I've seen probably two hundred copies in person and on-line over my collecting time, and no dust jacket. It should--it must--have one.

Since we don't have the deep pockets of our card kin (or at least I don't), it's only a $100 reward to anyone who can post the dust jacket image (Scan of book taken from Greg's copy)

Max

http://www.net54baseball.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=219807&stc=1&d=1454352655

[bigtrain]

I also have seen dozens of copies including some purported to be signed but never a jacket.

[batsballsbases]

Max,
Like Christy said be a real man and never wear a jacket..;)

[Shoeless Moe]

I'll take $50 bucks for Pitching in a Pinch...

[baseballart]

I'll take $50 bucks for Pitching in a Pinch...

:D:D:D

Good one.

I had been looking for twenty years for a DJ of the first edition (a 1925 edition DJ has been around for years). Many said the Putnam first didn't exist.

That image is, of course, of my book

[ooo-ribay]

I don't think it had one...

[baseballart]

I don't think it had one...


Rob

I have seen no evidence that it did not. I've scoured magazines for ads for the book. I've seen advertisements for other books where the ad doesn't show or state a dust jacket, but I have the dust jacket in hand.

I have probably about 100 dust jackets from the 1910 era , where there is an applique paste-down cover on the front. Dust jackets were very common on books by 1900, but were routinely tossed away.

Many of these jackets are on my other Flickr site Sports Book Covers https://www.flickr.com/photos/127734199@N02

[slidekellyslide]

I'm going to go with "Didn't come with one". Simply because of the sheer number of them out there and not one has a dust jacket. Also one might think with a large number of signed presentation copies that they would be held in high esteem and the owner would not have tossed the jacket but all of the signed ones are also without the jacket.

[bobfreedman]

I will take the other $50 :)

BTW, the names on the poster are pseudonyms of real ball players, i.e Robb = Cobb etc... The poster is 12" x 18"ish

[baseballart]

I will take the other $50 :)

BTW, the names on the poster are pseudonyms of real ball players, i.e Robb = Cobb etc... The poster is 12" x 18"ish

Bob

You are evil. I was an underbidder on that. Please change your will accordingly.

:):)

[baseballart]

I'm going to go with "Didn't come with one". Simply because of the sheer number of them out there and not one has a dust jacket. Also one might think with a large number of signed presentation copies that they would be held in high esteem and the owner would not have tossed the jacket but all of the signed ones are also without the jacket.

Dan

Babe Ruth's Own Book of Baseball in 1928 had a similar signed limited edition (I believe of 500, but fewer may have been actually signed). Many of the signed copies come up for auction or are for sale, and virtually none have had the DJ (there might have been one or two that did). Collectors just didn't keep them generally, certainly until after World War II.

The Ruth Putnam of course does exist in jacket.

I'll continue the hunt, and I am confident one day I will get conclusive proof of a dust jacket. Unless I don't. ;)

[Boomer]

[QUOTE=baseballart;1499727]Rob x
Wonderful Wonderful. What a great collection of jackets. Thanks for sharing
Love those
I have seen no evidence that it did not. I've scoured magazines for ads for the book. I've seen advertisements for other books where the ad doesn't show or state a dust jacket, but I have the dust jacket in hand.

I have probably about 100 dust jackets from the 1910 era , where there is an applique paste-down cover on the front. Dust jackets were very common on books by 1900, but were routinely tossed away.

Many of these jackets are on my other Flickr site Sports Book Covers https://www.flickr.com/photos/127734199@N02[/QU
Incredible collection of Jackets. Love them. Thanks for sharing.

[mzm55]

Hi Max,

I did some researching and uncovered some early descriptions of the actual book. From what I gather, it does appear that the book may have been distributed without a dust jacket. Take a look at some descriptions in the press:

“As for the book itself, which has been edited by W.W. Aubick, it is to be a handsomely illustrated volume of 300 pages, with the pictures contributed by base ball photographers and Felix Mahoney, who leads the artists league at this sort of play. Matty himself appears on the front cover in his familiar attitude of tearing off a strike on the opposing batsman.”

“Size, full 12mo. 302 pages. Illustrated by Felix Mahoney. Cloth Binding. Gilt back. Price, $1.00 net.”

“Books for Children…five books that were published to sell at $1 to $1.50 and are in the regular editions, bound in cloth; just as good as ever; our price today, each……39 cents.”

The book’s cover is described as having an image of Mathewson pitching, just like the book’s cover in your post. I would assume that, when describing the book (this first quote was released before the book was actually released), the image on the dust jacket would be used to describe its cover. That said, is it possible that the dust jacket and the actual hardcover portion of the book had the same image?


Additionally, the second quoted text references the book having a “gilt back.” This throws me off, though, because there is not gilt on the book’s reverse. Are there any traces of a gilt back on any copies of this book? I would assume that a dust jacket would not be gilded.

This is not much too go off of and doesn’t concretely prove if the book did or did not have a dust jacket, but if it did have a dust jacket, no one seemed to be discussing it.

Best,

Zach

[gnaz01]

Hi Max,

I did some researching and uncovered some early descriptions of the actual book. From what I gather, it does appear that the book may have been distributed without a dust jacket. Take a look at some descriptions in the press:

“As for the book itself, which has been edited by W.W. Aubick, it is to be a handsomely illustrated volume of 300 pages, with the pictures contributed by base ball photographers and Felix Mahoney, who leads the artists league at this sort of play. Matty himself appears on the front cover in his familiar attitude of tearing off a strike on the opposing batsman.”

“Size, full 12mo. 302 pages. Illustrated by Felix Mahoney. Cloth Binding. Gilt back. Price, $1.00 net.”

“Books for Children…five books that were published to sell at $1 to $1.50 and are in the regular editions, bound in cloth; just as good as ever; our price today, each……39 cents.”

The book’s cover is described as having an image of Mathewson pitching, just like the book’s cover in your post. I would assume that, when describing the book (this first quote was released before the book was actually released), the image on the dust jacket would be used to describe its cover. That said, is it possible that the dust jacket and the actual hardcover portion of the book had the same image?


Additionally, the second quoted text references the book having a “gilt back.” This throws me off, though, because there is not gilt on the book’s reverse. Are there any traces of a gilt back on any copies of this book? I would assume that a dust jacket would not be gilded.

This is not much too go off of and doesn’t concretely prove if the book did or did not have a dust jacket, but if it did have a dust jacket, no one seemed to be discussing it.

Best,

Zach

Interesting Zach. Maybe gilt was used on the spine, as the pic I posted in Max's other DJ thread, the lettering on the spine of my copy is clearly gold lettering.

Greg

[baseballart]

Zach

Thanks for the post. However, I have seen many ads for other books which so similarly describe the cover, and none indicate a dust jacket. I actually should do some more research and try and find some ads which actually list a dust jacket for any pre 1920 book. I think such ads would be in the distinct minority

Anyway, the search is fun

Max

[baseballart]

I'll add Frank Chance's The Bride and the Pennant to the equation and prize. It's not nearly as common as Won in the Ninth. However, it also must have a DJ

If they can find gravitational waves, we've got to be able to find images of these dust jackets

[baseballart]

Like the Olympics, every four years this post will resurface. Another four years without a Won in the Ninth sighting. Sigh.