T206 Matty portrait -- question

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Posted By: Peter_Spaeth

Does anyone know the inspiration for this card -- is it a Carl Horner photograph like many of the T206 portraits, for example? Reason I ask is that in looking closely at the card and comparing it to the pitching pose, which I know is modeled on a photograph, it doesn't necessarily look like the same person. Thanks.

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Posted By: steve f

Even though it's a beater, I love my Matty Port. You've gotta admit (to yourself), *that's one good-lookin man.


*disclaimer; I say this with a staunch record of heterosexuality

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Posted By: Peter_Spaeth

bumping in the hope someone out there has some info on this, thank you

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Posted By: davidcycleback

Good guess is that it was shot by either Horner, who photographed many of the T206s portraits, or Benjamin J. Falk. Falk photographed Giants players and his images were used on cards. Some of the non-sport 1890s Newsboy Cabinets are by Falk. Horner's 'T206' cabinets are around. I've seen the Wagner, Chance, Joss, etc, but don't recall seing a Mathewson.

It has been said that Walter Johnson's T206 pitching pose doesn't facially look like Johnson.

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Posted By: Peter_Spaeth

"It has been said that Walter Johnson's T206 pitching pose doesn't facially look like Johnson."

I would definitely concur with that. Can't quite tell on the Matty portrait though, as he looks quite different to me anyhow from photograph to photograph. I would guess that all the portraits are based on actual photographs but have no knowledge. Do other people think it looks like Mathewson?

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Posted By: T206Collector

...I do think it looks like Matty. If you look at his white cap version and then look at his portrait, I think you will see the resemblence in the face better than other Matty cards. But I do think it is interesting how different he looks from card to card, even just within the T206 set. As you can see from my avatar (head shot icon to the right), that image is a lot different from the two below.

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Posted By: Joe D.

one of the reasons I find the photography-based cards more appealing.

Some of the 'drawing-type' don't even look like the player... so then I ask myself... am I just collecting the name in the caption?

If it doesn't really look like Matty, and I put the name "smith" on the bottom... same card... I wouldn't want it at all.

I am not completely against the drawing-type cards as many of them are really nice... I am just a bit more picky with them.

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Posted By: Peter_Spaeth

Found this on the web.

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Posted By: davidcycleback

The Mathewson T206 pitching pose is based on a photo, as I've seen the photo. Even for the T206s made from an artist's sketch, the artist likely had a photo to work from. The guy who painted 1953 Topps cards (Gerry Dvorak) said that Topps give him photos of players and said "Paint these."

For the 1800 Harper's Woodcuts, the print was based on either a photo or an artist's sketch. In the woodcut's caption, it usually says whether it was from a photo or sketch.

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Posted By: Dave

Scott Forrester (runscott) has a site with many of the original pictures used for the T206 cards. If you haven't spent time here, you should. He lists the Matty Port as one of his missing photos. But, he has the photo mentioned here that was used for both the Matty pitching cards.

http://www.homestead.com/runscott/T206Origins.html

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Posted By: steve f

Bookmarked that site. The Johnson must have had the negative flipped. I wonder which side he did part his hair.