Addie Joss auto?

[Fred]

Yes, Norman was Addie's son.

The following is an an excerpt from an article about Addie's death. Note the Fulton street address is also the address on the post card:

Adrian (Addie) Joss, a Toledo resident and star pitcher of the Cleveland team, had died suddenly on April 14, 1911, at the age of 31. He left behind his wife Lillian and their two children, eight year old Norman and four year old Ruth, in the family home at 2440 Fulton Street in Toledo. After the funeral the Cleveland team determined to hold a day to honor the pitcher and raise money for the family, but the management soon became bogged down in on-the-field problems and the idea was put on the back burner.

[michael3322]

Actually, it is kind of a sad story.

Norman Joss died on Nov 21, 1977 at the age of 75. Two months later, on January 30, 1978, his father was finally elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

See: Joss Kin Happy, Sad with his Election (The Blade Toledo, Feb 1, 1978)

There is a nice remembrance of Norman in the Blade's April 27th edition, where he is described as a "modest man", "a soft-spoken fellow."

This article also mentions that Norman gave photos and momentos to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

Does anyone here know anyone on the staff at the Baseball HOF who might be able to tell us more about their Joss memorabilia?

[Tom Hufford]

Actually, there was a second fellow named Norman Joss, although I haven't found him in the US Census records.

The Social Security Death Index and the Florida Death Index show that a Norman Joss died November 17, 1971 in Pinellas County. He was born on April 16 1906. Social Security records list him as a resident of Michigan when he obtained his SS card, before 1951.

I have no idea if he was kin to Addie and Addie's son, Norman.

[michael3322]

A scrapbook surfaced last November that included a photo of the Joss family, including young Norman and his sister Ruth.

See the photo.

[michael3322]

I just exchanged emails with Lew Lipset. He very kindly gave me permission to post on Net 54, the higher resolution scans of the postcard, as well as the COA from Kevin Keating who certifies the handwriting as Joss'.

[drc]

I'm no Joss autograph expert, but will note that people sign and note family photos and pictures in different ways and know that many families wish relatives would have specifically named 'the obvious' of who's who in a photo as no one knows who are those people in the photo in the family album anymore. What may be obvious today may not be in 50 years. So, if anything, Joss noting which one he is for posterity was a prudent move, and many would do the same.

I have an elderly aunt who labels all photos-- which often is essential for the family in identifying who's who. In a class photo of my grandmother that already had all the classmates' names printed at the bottom, my aunt circled my grandmother's head and wrote in her name. Obviously redundant information, but that's they way my aunt did things. My dad liked her labeling but tried to convince her to write these things on the backs of the photos, not the front images!

[canjond]

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but Keating hasn't said Joss identified himeself on the postcard... instead Joss' handwriting is the address (addressing the card to his son). So, the "partial" signature is the fact that he and his son share the same last name; i.e., there is an authentic "Joss" signature. I don't think Kevin has indiciated who may have added the identification.