'Guide to Sports Photographs' Downloadable Book

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Posted By: davidcycleback

At the below link, anyone can download for free the book 'Guide to Sports Photographs.'
It's in adobe acrobat format (.pdf) and can be printed out on the home computer It's
formated to be printed out). It's 103 pages with many illustrations. It's a large file,
but should be no trouble for non dialup computers.

It's my first test on downlodable 'e-books' so if there are any snags, issues or
comments, feel free to comment to me. The book itself is the finished product, so
don't worry that you might be getting a promo or partial book. Thank you.

http://www.cycleback.com/sportsphotos.html

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Posted By: andy becker

this is an excellent read for anyone who collects photos, rrpc's, cabinets, and tintypes.
thanks again david, the book is a great resource.

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Posted By: steve f

Thankyou for the nice gift David.

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

Thanks David!!!

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Posted By: Keith

What a great resource. Thanks so much David

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Posted By: Paul

David,

That's great. Thank you for making this available to us.

I have a question about real photo postcards. You mention in the book that you can use the markings in the stamp box to help date the postcard. I had always thought that real photo postcards could be made by bringing your negatives to the local film developer in your town. He would then print the photo with a postcard back rather than a plain back. If that was the case, wouldn't the back have no markings in the stamp box at all, or the local developer's marking? From what you said about the markings, it sounds like real photo postcards were actually created by a few big companies. Obviously, I'm confused. Please enlighten me.

Thanks again.

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Posted By: Robert S

Real-Photo postcards refer to cards that actually are photographs, developed on photographic paper the same size and weight as traditional, printed postcards. Like other postcards, Real-Photo cards feature a postcard back complete with stamp box.

First popularized in 1901, these postcards can be identified by the images themselves, as well as by the stamp boxes, which identify the manufacturers of the photographic paper. More common names are AZO, Cyko, Velox, and later EKC and Kodak.

Because these cards could be made simply by purchasing paper and developing a photo directly onto it, most Real-Photo cards depict semi-pro and town teams. However, some of the rarest postcards of this type feature Major Leaguers, often homemade, in candid poses. Some publishers issued Real Photo postcards, as well, featuring major leaguers.

Unlike a printed postcard, the image on a "Real-Photo" card is not made up of print dots, it is solid like other actual photos.

The key to determining a "Real-Photo" card's age is the photographic paper manufacturer. Different brands, such as AZO, CYKO, ARTURA, VELOX and others all feature identifying marks in a card's stampbox, signifying when the paper was issued.

A complete "cheat sheet" and manufacturer stamp box photos are available at this link: http://www.playle.com/postcards.html#realphoto.

Here's a page of Real Photo baseball postcards:

http://www.vintageball.com/RealPhotos.html

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Posted By: davidcycleback

Old real photo postcards were made by many folks, including small time photography
studios, big companies and even ameteur photographer's in their home basement. The
postcard stock itself was manufactured by big companies like Kodak. The names
on the PC backs -- Kodak, Velox, AZO, etc-- are names or brand names of major photo
paper manufactuers. Whether big or small, ametuer or famous, most photographers
and photo studios didn't make their own photo paper, but bought it from the big manufacturers.
So it's possible in 1920 for both a famous NYC Studio and a 16 year old Nebraska hobbyist
to be using the same undeveloped Velox real photo postcard stock, as they bought it
from the same Kodak catalog (Kodak made Velox brand photo paper).

Undeveloped real photo postcard paper is just that: photo paper. It has all the
photochemicals affixed to the front where the photo image will appear. Back in
the old days, the only difference between undeveloped 8x10 photo paper (to make your
8x10 photos) and undeveloped real photo postcard paper (ro make real photo postcards)
is the size and the printing on back. The undeveloped real photo postcard paper
is postcard size and has the stampbox/mailing printing on back. A photography
studio might tell the Kodak travelling salesman, "I'd like to order 10 boxes of
8x10 Velox paper, 5 boxes of 11x15 Velox paper and two boxes of Velox postcard paper."

So, all that stampbox/Velox/Kodak/Defence/triangles stuff on the back of real
photo postcards was put there by the manufacturer of the paper, not by the studio.

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Posted By: Paul

Thanks, I actually understand now.

I've heard from a postcard collector that some teams (particularly the Indians) sold postcards at their stadium or by mail order that were real photo postcards. So, I guess it's just about impossible with these postcards to determine if they were amateur items made for home use or were produced by a manufacturer for public sale.

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Posted By: davidcycleback

If it's a professional looking shot of the Inidans Team or of Nap Lajoie in uniform,
it probably wasn't made by an ametuer at home. Formal/professional-looking shots
of MLB players & teams were usually shot by pro photographers hired by the team or
a big company.

If a rppc shows a uniformed teenager in the back yard with the dog, it would be more
likely shot by an ametuer and sent into Kodak or wherever for development.

Also, professionals were better than ametuer photographers-- focus, clarity, cropping,
etc. You don't have to be an expert to pick out which 1940 nature 8x10 photo
was shot by Ansel Adams and which one by my Uncle Eddie, even when they photographed
the same mountain.



An image like this would presumably have been shot by a pro photographer. Except for
'fan camera day,' only photographers with press passes would be allowed on the
field. And, even with camera day, few fans would shoot an image so crisp
and, well, professional.

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Posted By: Robert S

Many of the professionally-issued ones have publisher credit lines either on the front or the reverse.

For instance: