1923 Ruth Exhibit - Lipset Auction

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Posted By: warshawlaw

OK, now we are getting somewhere. The image with borders shows less of the picture than the one without, meaning that the borders were imposed over the image rather than around it before the new plate was created. The next question is whether the two cards were made from the same photo or from two separate prints of the same image. I downloaded both photos and superimposed one over the other using photo editing software. I was particularly concerned with lining up the legends because they are handwritten. If a second picture was used, there is no way that the legends will correspond precisely. What I found was that the legends match exactly. This tells me that the same hand-annotated photo was used to create both versions of the card. ESCO apparently did go back and revise the original photo by adding a border to it. When this was done is what we do not know, but 1923 is certainly a stronger possibility than I thought earlier. I would still point out that a revision of the Ruth for 1923 would not be consonant with the boxing card experience. My boxing research proves that the company issued a set of 64 cards of boxers and wrestlers in 1921, issued a supplemental set in 1922, then reissued some of the 1921s with some new cards in 1923 (remember, all boxing cards are actually copyrighted and dated so there is no ambiguity as to when they were issued). There are two Jack Dempseys for 1923 but the second card is a new pose. I have yet to see ESCO crop or border a 1921 boxing card to create a 1923, but I will keep looking. Ruth is Ruth, though, and who knows what marketing decision was made or when.