Posted By:
Joe D.Thanks to a tip by Dan K - I picked up the 1999 book "Baseball Postcard Collection" by Ron Menchine.
In the book Ron Menchine spotlights the 1903 Giants Astoria Postcard by Falk -
calling it the earliest known postcard to show a major league team.
I didn't notice it right away -
but the book shows a postcard different than mine.
Apparently there is a 1905 version of the Astoria Postcard (even though the book calls it the 1903 Version).
Some of the differences you will notice....
--The banner on top was changed to 1905 (mine says 1903)
--an extra player was put in the top row middle (Davis, S.S.)
--an extra "Photo by Falk" was placed on the right bottom of the photo
--"Published by D Silberer" was put in by the name captions.
--The names in the caption are much clearer in the 1905 version (different type and color)
--The photo in the 1905 version is cropped right by the feet (with a hard line) and the caption names are just on the paper stock (whereas the names on the 1903 version are actually in the image area of the photo).
Here they are side by side....
