Federal League Lithographic Stone Find...

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Posted By: Jeff S.

Hello - I just pulled this lithographic stone from the estate of a printer and am interested in your opinions on it. The stone measures 10" x 14" x 2 3/4" and features various advertising and images for the Victor Sporting Goods Company of Springfield, MA. I believe the top portion of the stone was used to print either the box that housed Victor baseballs, or perhaps a paper band that went around the box. The proof marks are 2 3/4" apart, with four sections and an end tag, which would perfectly fit around a baseball box. Under that are four various sporting-themed images including baseball. Victor was the official baseball of the Federal League:

"In 1914-15, the Federal League, the last serious threat to the two established major league circuits, utilized a ball made by the Victor Sporting Goods Company, at the time one of the leaders in the business." -The Official Rules of Baseball Illustrated - By David Nemec, 2006

I’ve included a reversed image of the stone for ease of reading – interesting that it mentions the ball being adopted by the American Association, Southern Association and Pacific Coast League, among others. I believe Victor began in 1898, and the image on the reverse of the stone has dates of 189_and 190_. Can anyone provide any further information?

Thanks!