Holsum research questions

[nolemmings]

I don’t expect many or maybe anyone to be collecting the Holsum set(s) per se, including me, but thought that there are enough type and team collectors here that it is worthwhile to ask them to check their holdings to see if they might answer my questions at least in part. I have been contacted by one member who provided a scan of a Type 2 Holsum I had not confirmed, so I already consider my post a success although I would love to see more.

I am trying to determine the size and extent of Type 1 and Type 2 Holsum checklists. I have confirmed 79 subjects for Type 1, although a couple of those are based only on front scans and TPG slabs, and thus are only semi-confirmed. There really should be more, including Babe Ruth, yet at least thus far an argument can be made that the ad back’s claim of “80 different to the set” looks pretty accurate. There may have been multiple printings of Type 1 that takes the total over 80, as it appears there were at least two printings of Type 2.

I also am somewhat fixated, as you know, on Felix Mendelsohn’s involvement in creating early B&W sets. Because he is very likely the creator of the 1917 E135-like sets and those very poses are used again not only in Holsum but also other 1920-21 sets, I stay on the hunt for information. That is one reason I am interested in whether Type 1 used exclusively 1917 photos, although I would add that Type 2 also borrowed at least some Mendelsohn poses from m101-6 (e.g. Speaker and Wingo). Finally and for purposes of discussion, I would note that I have seen some collectors claim that Type 2 Holsum is more readily found than Type 1. I have confirmed only 54 Type 2 backs, far less than Type 1, and although I don’t follow all sales or pops (there may be multiples of these Type 2s that create a larger population), I have not seen that, and would ask others to describe their experiences. Thanks for looking.