Posted By:
Bob LemkeMy studies of the TSN microfilm showed the first offering of these cards in 1916 by the Chicago firm of Felix Mendelsohn. He offered a 200-card set as singles and as an uncut sheet. In the absence of any ad copy to the contrary, I assume these were blank-backs. Within a few months, The Sporting News was offering the cards, with its imprint on back. I'd guess that Mendelsohn sold uncut sheets to TSN, Standard, etc., on which they could have their own back copy added, or else printed to order with their (Mendelsohn) fronts and supplied back ad copy (the latter being more likely since it is obvious Mendelsohn had the equipment or contractor to cut sheets into singles. What is needed is a detail study of uncut sheets of blank-back M101-5/M101-4 sheets. I suspect some of you are correct that the original Mendelsohn offerings might have included Wallace, rather than Wheat, and perhaps some of the other anomalies mentioned. We have included mention of the Mendelsohns in the new book, but due to a computer glitch totally cocked up the Standard section, crediting one of the sets as an E121 Series of 80 parallel. I hope to address this topic in an SCD column before long, but time is short before all efforts have to be directed to price review and changes for the 2005 book.