Why I think Cobb wasn't printed with a Brown Hindu back

[wolf441]

Originally Posted by G1911

By consistent with the later evidence I am not referring to Wagner at all. In that time the hobby was focused on the tobacco companies and not the printers, it is consistent with the information we have gleaned since from other sources. A forgery would likely be on behalf of the ATC, as it is only very recently we have begun to understand that the lithographers played a much more active role in these sets than just printing them for ATC.

I agree with Steve, this is hardly the first letter from a sports writer on team letterhead, kickbacks from the team were common and the press was usually in bed with the team ownership. It doesn’t seem out of place to me. Also makes sense the team would be supportive: it’s free advertising.

The survival rate isn’t a red flag, I think. How many printing stones and plates from the ATC sets have been found? How much other internal documentation? It’s almost none. I wouldn’t expect these letters, fairly insignificant at this time, to survive in greater quantity than other documentation has.

I am a big fan of skepticism, separating fact from probability from personal opinions. We cannot say beyond any doubt the letter is genuine, but it is more reasonable to think it real than to think it a clever forgery, as there is no evidence for the later.

Thanks, that certainly makes sense. I'm usually not a conspiracy theory type of guy at all.

It would be cool if we knew where the Ball letter came from when it was originally put up for auction. Was there any mention as to who sold/consigned it when it originally surfaced and how it came to be in their possession?

[Pat R]

I not saying they could not have but if it was forged they would have either done some research or had knowledge of the change in the use of images law but still it seems like an odd thing to put in this letter if it was forged.

[wolf441]

Originally Posted by Pat R

I not saying they could not have but if it was forged they would have either done some research or had knowledge of the change in the use of images law but still it seems like an odd thing to put in this letter if it was forged.

Yeah, agreed. I guess misplaced skepticism on my part. Sorry to take the thread off track, Pat. Great information as always in terms of the progression of subjects from 150 to 350 across various backs.

[Pat R]

Originally Posted by wolf441

Yeah, agreed. I guess misplaced skepticism on my part. Sorry to take the thread off track, Pat. Great information as always in terms of the progression of subjects from 150 to 350 across various backs.

No problem Steve, I didn't find anything wrong with questioning it.

[Pat R]

Adding to the stages theory, in different degrees there's usually a group of subjects that are tougher on a particular back than another group and sometimes there's yet another group that falls in the middle.

Just using the Old Mills for example because they were discussed recently with the print group 1 subjects. For instance lets say they were printed in three stages the group of tougher subjects would have only been on a sheet for one stage the middle group for 2 stages and the easier ones for all 3. Now if there the old mills were only printed in two stages it could be that there were a lot more sheets printed in one of the stages and the tougher group was printed in the short print stage the middle group in the long print stage and the easier group in both stages.

This would also apply if they were printed in different facility's.