Question: 1910 Tip Top Bread (D322) Pittsburgh - Why the "H" ?

[CLEcollector]

Hello everyone. This is my first post in theses forums. You all are extremely knowledgeable, and I feel privileged to be in your company.

Here is a question that has me stumped, and I can't seem to find any definitive answers on the internet.

In the 1910 Tip Top Bread (D322) set, why is the "Pittsburgh" on the jerseys of the Pirates players*not spelled P I T T S B U R G, without the "H" ?

Let me explain.

From 1891 - 1911, because of politics and whatnot, the city of Pittsburgh was to be spelled "Pittsburg," with no "H" at the end. This is apparent on signage around the city, newspapers and articles from that time period, and on*all Pirates baseball cards*in the 1909-1911 T206*series,*1910*E90, 1910 E93, 1911 T3 Turkey, the*1911 T205 Gold Border series, and others. But, for some reason, the 1910 Tip Top Bread set, has the city name on the jersey spelled with the "H" at the end.

Was this because the owner of Tip Top Bread was formerly from Pittsburg(h) and had an interest in spelling his former hometown the*way he felt was proper? Could he have been tipped off that the city was in the process of changing the spelling, and therefore, wanted to make the card more relevant? Was it the Pirates team executives who were tipped off that their city's spelling was going to change and wanted the cards printed with the "H" at the end?

I have found out that these cards were sent to fans who redeemed 50 labels from Tip Top Bread packages through the mail. The set contained 25 cards celebrating*the Pittsburgh Pirates 1909 championship. What if, the promotion was run during the complete 1910 season, and ended with the season's conclusion following the World Series. Tip Top Bread then counted up how many sets they needed to send out, and put in an order with the printing company. This most likely would have put the actual production well into 1911, but was called the "1910 set" because it was meant for the season following the Pirates' first championship. And the owner of Tip Top Bread being a Pirates fan makes that theory sound more possible. It's a long shot, but that's all I got :)*

Any insight into this matter is very much appreciated. All I have found online are general discussions of distribution and general mentions of the year, but nothing in detail. Any links or leads with specific information regarding how, and more specifically when, the Ward Bakery/Tip Top Bread company*produced and released*these cards to the public would be great.

Thanks a bunch!
Adam**

[VoodooChild]

Interesting question and I do not have a real answer, just a guess that is similar to yours. George T. Oliver was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1909. Since 1890, residents of Pittsburgh wanted the "h" back. Senator Oliver is given credit as the main person responsible for getting the "h" added back in 1911. I have a feeling that his efforts were well known at the time as he was also a prominent Pittsburgh Newspaper owner too. I'm betting that George S. Ward, owner of the Ward Bakery (Tip-Top brand), who is also from Pittsburgh knew in 1910 that the "h" would be added back soon so the cards were printed that way. I'm also betting that Mr. Ward knew residents of Pittsburgh wanted the "h" back so he decided to add it to help sell his product. From what I can see, one card was included per loaf and you could also redeem 50 labels for the entire set. Maybe seeing the "h" in the spelling on the cards helped sell more bread in Pittsburgh in 1910 since I'm pretty sure it was known at the time that the spelling would be changing officially in 1911?

Anyways, those are just my "semi" educated guesses. Welcome to the board!

[markf31]

Evan after the United States Board on Geographic Names changed the city's name to "Pittsburg" you could still find the use of "Pittsburgh" in many places such as the pin and World Series panoramic found below.

But my potential theory is that despite the fact that the city's name was changed, the registered name of the ball club itself never changed, and the club in those days was technically called the "Pittsburgh Baseball Club" operated or owned by the "Pittsburgh Athletic Company" as you can see from the 1908 Honus Wagner contract also pictured below. So perhaps this is why it was spelled with the "h" on the Tip Tops?

But it is also interesting to note that on the contract, the city is spelled with the "h" as well at the top. So even a legal document being signed in 1908 was spelled with the "h".

http://goldenrankings.com/Baseball%20Pictures%202/Ultimate%20Games/1909%20World%20Series/1909Game1ForbesField.jpg
http://www.goodwinandco.com/ItemImages/000015/15146a_sm.jpeg
http://catalog.scpauctions.com/images_items/item_25501_2.jpg

[CLEcollector]

Wow, thanks a lot! Those are both some really great takes with a lot of interesting information on the topic. Mark, thanks for the photos! That contract is incredible to read.

I guess it could just be one of those things where some people followed the rules, and some didn't. It's not like there were any consequences for spelling Pittsburgh with or without the "H." And, it makes a lot of sense that someone in a powerful position back then, such as a wealthy business owner, would be well aware of their clout and impact on society, and would most likely take much pride in doing as they pleased.

[Jobu]

I don't have anything to add other than to say "welcome to the board" to Adam. Your first post was a hell of a lot better than whatever it was that I posted as my first!

[CLEcollector]

I don't have anything to add other than to say "welcome to the board" to Adam. Your first post was a hell of a lot better than whatever it was that I posted as my first!

Bryan, thanks a lot! This has been driving me nuts for a few days. I can't seem to find a definitive timeline, but I'm beginning to realize this may be a case of people, newspapers, and companies spelling it whichever way they wanted to regardless of what the rule was at the time.

The vibe on this forum is awesome and I'm excited to be a part of it. Love the Jobu pic btw. I'm a huge Tribe fan.

[gnaz01]

Here is a piece that dates to the 1870's. Notice the postmark and the spelling...

Oh, and welcome to the board....

[Mark]

I know that this is anecdotal, but... I grew up in the Pittsburgh area long after the 1900's, and it was my experience that some of us were not always assiduous about our spelling.

[z28jd]

From many years of reading old Pittsburgh newspapers, I can tell you that the spelling varied, before 1890 and after 1911. It wasn't just universal that everyone accepted no H or accepted the H coming back.

Those jerseys didn't have anything on the front, so the writing you see on the T206 Pirates and the Tip Top cards, wasn't actually on the jerseys. That's why it's easy to make a mistake or have a difference.

[Jcfowler6]

What the "H"


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[david_l]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etymology_of_Pittsburgh

[TipTopBread]

http://imageevent.com/rgprgp8618/1910tiptopbread


PASSWORD: 1910ttb

[bxb]

Very nice set Ray.

Thanks for sharing.

[edjs]

Now that you got some genuine answers, all I came up with was why the "H" not? :D

[Jcfowler6]

This is a good thread. It's a topic I've had many conversations about in the past with friends. The consensus I've heard is the locals wanted to "h" simply because it was their heritage being challenged by a bigger government. They eventually won the battle. Many refused to drop the "h" ever so you will find a blended return on searches of the late 1800's to early 1900's.


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