Help with some Indians pix?

[Bob Lemke]

bearden and weik.jpg

A reader near Cleveland asked for help with these Indians pictures. They are b/w, blank-backed, 6-1/2" x 9". The scripted names, rather than facsimile autographs, would seem to exclude them from the team's picture packs.

Bearden, who pitched there in 1947-50, is pictured in a uniform worn from 1947-49. Weik, who pitched 11 games for the Tribe in 1950 and one in 1953, has the 1950-53 style uniform. I suspect, however, these are from the same issue.

They somewhat fit the format, though not the known checklist of the so-called 1947 Bond Bread Premiums.

Do any of you Cleveland collectors have any ideas?

Thanks much!

[Leon]

I am sort of surprised there is not help on these yet. I was going to say "picture pack" but you said probably not. I still think they might be some team issued premiums....maybe at the ballpark?

[Chris Counts]

Here's a photo I pulled off of eBay. It's labeled "1950's Cleveland indians Municipal Stadium Photos." The signatures differ from those in the easy-to-find '48 and '49 team-issued sets, but they resemble yours. Could yours be from a team-issued set that was released in 1950? If you look closely at the envelope, it appears to depict some photos in the style of the '48 set ...

[Bob Lemke]

Thanks much, Chris, I think you nailed it!