Anyone else collect original photos that were used to make cards?

[drc]

I owned a large collection original photos used to make 1930s-50s Exhibit Supply boxing and wrestling photos. These were the actual photos with all the crop marks and Exhibit notes, etc and came from the Exhibit Supply's owner/president. This included the all the photos for complete card sets in the original folders, including art for cards that were planned but never made. The photos for unfinished cards are listed as 'ghost cards' in the set checklists. The keys were the Clay and the 1930s photo for the wresting exhibit card of Bronco Nagurski, where only one card is known to exist. When I had the Nagurski photo, the card was not known to exist and was added as a ghost card to the set's checklist. One finished Nagurski card was later discovered. My collection added several cards to the Exhibit checklists and pointed out some cards as short prints and solved some set mysteries. For example, the back of one card for one had a dated note note that it was to be removed early from printing and replaced by another. All the photos were 8x10 and originated from different sources, including private studios, Ring Magazine and news services. Several of the photos had the original proof test sheets pasted to the back, which listed how many and what kind of proofs were made. Also, all the names on front, whether faux signatures or printed, were added over the top of the photo. Most of the photos had some sort of aesthetic enhancement, including painted in back grounds. In the Nagurski below, everything is painted over in silver, grey or white ink, except Nagurski. In the Ezzard Charles below, notice how his trunks and part of his glove are painted in. You can see the horizontal line where the photo edge ended and they kept on painting. The Charles is part photo and part painting.



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[Kawika]

Very interesting thread. Clemente's vertical leap in the photo is astonishing. And Dan B., what a cool and serendipitous find! I don't collect original photos much at all but I did score this Benjamin Falk cabinet of Christy Mathewson which was shot around 1905 and which is the progenitor of numerous subsequent Matty cards such as the W600, M116 and 1915 CJ, all which changed out that natty suit for a baseball uniform. Falk, by the way, was the same photographer who shot Joe D.'s terrific Astoria Giants postcard.

[Cy2009]

Scott Forrest, who used to post a lot on this forum, but now has other interests other than cards, used to find pictures of ballplayers that were used to make cards. Here is a link to his site that has quite a few of these pictures.

http://runscott.homestead.com/T206Origins.html

I think that you will enjoy these.

Cy

[Exhibitman]

I like the images that were the actual card art used by the card manufacturer rather than merely the same image as was used to make the card. Like the ones David posted above. I have a few of those exhibit art pieces: Harold Green and Peter Lawford, so far. Plus the Bohne piece on my site.

[thekingofclout]

The definitive image of Jackie Robinson taken in 1950 by the legendary Brooklyn Dodgers photographer Barney Stein.

Vintage original TYPE I photograph that was used to make Jackie's classic 1950 Bowman card.

jackieBOWMAN.jpgjackieBOWMANverso.jpg

jackieBOWMANwithCARD.jpg

[thekingofclout]

D.P.

[perezfan]

Here's my contribution.... a third Matty for this thread!

This is an original Type 1 Charles Conlon, with his stamp and hand-written observations on the reverse. Conlon writes, "First appearance of crow's feet under the eyes. Years on the pitching slab under burning sun beginning to tell."

A famous image, it was later used to make Matty's 1940 PlayBall Card.

[Knuckles]

What a great collecting niche and well done with what you've been able to obtain so far. The original photos are much nicer images of the players, it makes me want to photoshop card remakes using the photos.

- Garret

[wolterse]

This is an original Mack photo that I recently framed. Does anyone know if this was used for a card?

[thekingofclout]

Thank you all for the nice support of my first thread here at Net54. I appreciate all of your input.

David, that is some Matty you have there! Easily one of the finest extant.

Here is a Matty original photo by the master lensman Paul Thompson that was clearly used in making his 1914 Cracker Jack issue:

http://tinyurl.com/m6b53j

And a popular Conlon original of Gehrig:

http://tinyurl.com/mns4d8

[thekingofclout]

Thank you all for the nice support of my first thread here at Net54. I appreciate all of your input.

David, that is some Matty you have there! Easily one of the finest extant.

Here is a Matty original photo by the master lensman Paul Thompson that was clearly used in making his 1914 Cracker Jack issue:

http://tinyurl.com/m6b53j

And a popular Conlon original of Gehrig:

http://tinyurl.com/mns4d8

[Forever Young]

CY YOUNG TYPE 1 PHOTO USED TO MAKE HIS T205 CARD AND A PAUL THOMPSON(CHERRY ON TOP).

[ethicsprof]

Great thread!
I had for some time known of the Horner portraits behind my beloved T206s
but did not realize that Conlon had action photos which were the bases for
T206 action poses. It was quite a treat to come to that realization while
perusing(for 4 consec.evenings!) the last Legendary Auction catalogue and finding 2:the lee tannehill and the ed killian.
I bid on both and won the Tannehill and will soon have the T206 card and original Conlon photo framed together---a Christmas present from my wife.
I do wonder if there are other Conlon photos which are behind other action poses of T206. How about it---any Conlon/T206 experts out there?!!
As you all know, I can't scan but the 2 photos can be seen as lot 206 and
lot 154 on the auction site.
all the best for the New Year everyone.
barry

[Forever Young]

Type 1ny Image of Gehrig used on teh 1961 Golden Press card