S74 Research

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Posted By: Patrick McMenemy

I received two wonderful emails from a lurker, who has been collecting S74s for 35 years. Not only has he confirmed additional players with Red Sun Backs, but he also owns a Helmar Back S74 of Mattern of the Rustlers. Even more exciting, he owns a S74 printers proof!

"They are printed on colored material and attached to a blank cardboard backing. All also have the sort of printer's proof lines in the margins that are otherwise characteristic of lithographed issues."

"What convinces me of their authenticity as printer's proofs is the fact that one depicts Kling with the Cubs, as he was pictured in T205. Kling was then traded to Boston. He does not appear in the earlier backed white set at all, and appears in the later unbacked colored set only with Boston. I've never seen nor heard even a rumor of any S74, from either set showing Kling with the Cubs."

"Quite plainly, the printer was experimenting with ways to print and produce baseball player pictures on cloth!"

Wow! That's the kind of information that makes this forum "One-of-a kind."

For those of you keeping score at home, here is the updated "confirmed" list of Red Sun back so far:

Cy Barger, Beals Becker, Robert Byrne, Camnitz, Fred Clarke, Ty Cobb, Doc Crandall, Art Devlin, Johnny Evers, Rube Marquard, Ambrose McConnell,Thomas Needham, Rebel Oakes, Reulbach, Admiral Schlei, Harry Steinfeldt, and Ed Willett.

Please keep the info coming! Many thanks to the gentleman who have shared their knowledge with me so far.