1929 New Yorker article on card collecting in the 1880s

[brianp-beme]

Great article...thanks for posting.

In the article the author alludes to his belief that the Brooklyn Old Judge cards with the bleachers in the background were not actually taken outside, but instead that the bleachers were a part of a painted backdrop. Has anyone else heard of this assertion before...I always thought the bleachers looked real (and made them some of the more special Old Judge cards).

Brian

[h2oya311]

Originally Posted by brianp-beme

Great article...thanks for posting.

In the article the author alludes to his belief that the Brooklyn Old Judge cards with the bleachers in the background were not actually taken outside, but instead that the bleachers were a part of a painted backdrop. Has anyone else heard of this assertion before...I always thought the bleachers looked real (and made them some of the more special Old Judge cards).

Brian

Not exactly. He said they were fake bleachers (and grey grass) for Brooklyn. He then talked about the fake city backdrop for the Chicago players. It remains to be seen if the bleachers and grass were outside or inside, although the author implies that they were taken inside if the grass was grey. But how would you know the color of the grass when the pictures are all black and white/sepia toned?