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**