uncatalogues Mendelsohn M101 ruth-type

[ls7plus]

I have come across a Babe Ruth card which features the same pose depicted on the classic M101 Ruth Rookie, but is printed on paperboard, rather than cardboard stock. While the photocropping and border is similar to that of the known counterfeits (which I believe I read originated with Larry Fritsch, but were clearly marked "reprints" by Fritsch), an examination of the reprints/counterfeits under magnification (one of which I have for comparison) clearly reveals that the print dot pattern on the reprints/counterfeits to be random, rather than regular and linear, meaning the card was produced by taking a picture of a real card, and a plate made from that picture to actually print the bogus card. On the other hand, the regular and linear print dot pattern which the subject card has, clearly indicates that the card was made from the original plate, albeit cropped differently. This card also has the "rod" which seems to eminate from the Babe's left hip, just as quite a number of known genuine M101 examples do. The printing "Babe Ruth" and "P.--Boston Red Sox" and "151" at the bottom of the card is also made up of straight, unbroken lines in absolutely the proper font and type style, as compared to the counterfeit, which has print comprised of dots. In other words, the subject card appears quite clearly to be a real Mendelsohn circa/type M101 card, except for the lighter stock and different photo cropping and borders. My guess is salesman's sample (lighter weight stock would allow many more to be carred by traveling salesmen making their rounds), or possibly printer's proof.

Can anyone add any insight to the mysterious origins of this card?

Best regards, guys, and look forward to hearing from you.

Larry

[ullmandds]

Do you have any scans?

[ls7plus]

I do not have a flat scanner, Peter, but I'm going to see if Kinko's/Fed Ex will scan it for me. I have had mixed experience with them in the past, with the most recent try resulting in an employee telling me it was now against their policy due to possible copyright infringement. If I can get it scanned, will post here.

Thanks for responding,

Larry

[nolemmings]

Hi Larry,

I too would be interested in seeing a scan; however, I am skeptical that what you have is genuine and period. There are really no known salesman samples, unless you count the mailer that Hank Thomas auctioned through Legendary(?), which contained six attached "cards", none depicting Ruth, and all with a different-styled caption containing no numbers. Moreover, these six were placed so close together side by side that any attempt to cut them into singles would have left extremely narrow borders if not no border at all on at least one side.

There were some of what I call promo cards from Successful Farming that were sold in the last REA auction, but they too were unnumbered, had the full ad on the back and almost certainly emanated from the sponsor itself. Again, no Ruth. There was also the mystery Lajoie card discussed here last March, but that too was unnumbered and used a different font and/or caption.

I doubt that they were a printer's proof either, as it sounds like the card was in all respects finished, down to the font and numbering. Seems unlikely that they would print the final version on something other than the stock they intended to use unless there was a financial reason for doing so, which I do not see here.

Finally, I am naturally suspicious that a heretofore unknown single card emerges of Ruth rather than some common player. Why no Fred Luderus or Carl Weilman? Also, there seems little reason to change the cropping to such a minor degree as apparently exists between your card and the known, genuine m101-4/5, which minor change just so happens to match up well if not perfectly with known reproductions.

I have no problem being wrong on this, as it would add another mystery to Mendelsohn's card-making, but unfortunately I am a natural cynic.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by nolemmings

Hi Larry,

I too would be interested in seeing a scan; however, I am skeptical that what you have is genuine and period. There are really no known salesman samples, unless you count the mailer that Hank Thomas auctioned through Legendary(?), which contained six attached "cards", none depicting Ruth, and all with a different-styled caption containing no numbers. Moreover, these six were placed so close together side by side that any attempt to cut them into singles would have left extremely narrow borders if not no border at all on at least one side.

There were some of what I call promo cards from Successful Farming that were sold in the last REA auction, but they too were unnumbered, had the full ad on the back and almost certainly emanated from the sponsor itself. Again, no Ruth. There was also the mystery Lajoie card discussed here last March, but that too was unnumbered and used a different font and/or caption.

I doubt that they were a printer's proof either, as it sounds like the card was in all respects finished, down to the font and numbering. Seems unlikely that they would print the final version on something other than the stock they intended to use unless there was a financial reason for doing so, which I do not see here.

Finally, I am naturally suspicious that a heretofore unknown single card emerges of Ruth rather than some common player. Why no Fred Luderus or Carl Weilman? Also, there seems little reason to change the cropping to such a minor degree as apparently exists between your card and the known, genuine m101-4/5, which minor change just so happens to match up well if not perfectly with known reproductions.

I have no problem being wrong on this, as it would add another mystery to Mendelsohn's card-making, but unfortunately I am a natural cynic.

I am right there with you Todd. I agree with pretty much everything you said. Now, that being said, here is an enlarged M101-4/5 type card (quite a bit bigger than a standard M101-4/5) which we don't really know much about except for what is stamped on it. Even though I am skeptical I am always hopeful too!!

[nolemmings]

Hi Leon,

I've never held one of those, although I have seen the Hofman posted by another board member and thought I had a scan of a third (Cole?). I am leaning against it being a Mendelsohn product, but admit my reasoning is not overly strong.

I suspect that Mendelsohn had a hand in the rather muddy looking M-UNCs or W-Uncs from circa 1915, of which you own a few. We know that he also then produced m101-5/4 the next year, where he was somewhat of a perfectionist changing poses, captions and players to be as current as possible. In 1917 he made at least a prototype of a larger and clearer version of m101, of which three are known. Later that same year he went even larger and gave us the wonderful m101-6s that are nearly all new photos.

My point is that he was always seeking to improve and get both bigger and better with his sets. That card you show, if truly from 1911, would seem to already fit the bill-- it seems at least as advanced as the several Mendelsohn issues that followed. Why regress to smaller, less clear cards, and wait four years to begin doing it if you've already hit upon something you like? I realize this argument is far from infallible and that there may be several explanations, but that's where I am coming from now.

Frankly, the card looks a bit too advanced, if that makes sense, which has always made me wonder if it was produced somewhat period but later, perhaps as a commemorative issue (although there was nothing overly memorable about the 1911 Cubs). Alternatively, perhaps it was not cost effective at the time, and was shelved, although in that event you might think that Mendelsohn would revive it at the proper time rather than trying new and again smaller designs.

Finally, the only true "card" sets I recall from that era with the year of issue stated on the front (except for some E-104) are the Zeenuts, which coincidentally began circulating in 1911 also. Since Zeenuts had ties to Collins-McCarthy and yours almost bears more resemblance to that issue than Mendelsohn's, maybe the same folks are behind your card, although that does not begin to explain how it ended up with a Midwest advertiser, unless it turns out that the E135 cards really started in Chicago as a Boston Store release before heading west. See how all this thinking can get a guy's head messed up?