I agree with what Runscott said, I've seen many poor quality print items from the war years - I collect scorecards from that period and the paper and printing especially on minor league items are worse than they were in the 1930's when quality paper stocks were limitless and all the master printers were not in the service. I'd venture to say that ephemera from Negro League teams would be of the same quality as the minor league and semi-pro stuff I have. As for wartime shortages, the Grays made much of their money playing exhibition games with town and semi-pro teams even during the war and advertising was very important so I could see how a generic team photo might have been produced in 1942 or 43 by the Grays to send out in a press kit type of thing but I would expect a team name or contact to be printed on the front or back. If it is on card stock it could have been cut down from a larger broadside - we've all seen that before.
That all said, I'm in the camp that this is not real, just made to look old. The printing looks a little "soft" to me, not what I would expect from that time period. The paper looks too aged as well - wartime paper was pretty poor stuff but unless this is printed on thin paper (which is very brittle and turns yellow) and not a card stock I would expect it to have been a little less yellow.
And by the way Smokey Joe Williams is not in that team photo - he retired about 10 years before the shot was taken.
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