E90-1 "shaded" back variations?

[bijoem]

Scott....

I think the thread is awesome.

And I love the observation.


you really could call this anything you want.

I was just trying to be a constructive participant of the thread.

[ScottFandango]

Originally Posted by bijoem

Scott....

I think the thread is awesome.

And I love the observation.


you really could call this anything you want.

I was just trying to be a constructive participant of the thread.

i appreciate it! you are the expert on printing and this discussion is great!



how about this....some cards have a Regular version and a shaded version....is that not true?

[ScottFandango]

How come then, say the Fromme, has regular versions and shaded versions, BUT NOTHING IN BETWEEN...

wouldnt it be a slow progression from clean to dirty? havent found that... I havent seen any Frommes that have "just a bit if shading"..has anyone?>

[ScottFandango]

The Mystery of the E90-1 Series' is how i found the shaded versions...

for 100 years, nobody knows what E90-1 cards were made in 1909 versus 1911....i have been trying to find details that may give us clues...

this may be the first CONCRETE evidence for a specific series.....

trying to think why it happened is the wrong direction to go....

thinking of what we have in front of us , and what it tells us, is the right direction

[bijoem]

Originally Posted by ScottFandango

this may be the first CONCRETE evidence for a specific series.....

that is cool stuff - and I would guess looking through print defects / oddities / and miscuts one could start putting a puzzle together.

[steve B]

Very cool stuff and fascinating too. A few thoughts now that we're a bit into this.

I guessed earlier that the shaded ones were from a late print run, where maybe they cut corners and didn't clean or replace the plates. I'm still leaning towards this. Especially if all the shaded ones are cards that are harder to find.

So what's the list of shaded cards? Does it match with the list Brian had?
There were 16 there, which is a nice number for a sheet, but doesn't divide into the 120 card set all that well. 12 or 24 works better. The list had a few that are shown in the 2010 standard catalog as being commons, but I know of at least one mistake on that list.

I think in that era they would have used actual stones rather than plates. The stones lasted a bit longer if I recall things properly.

And like Joe D said, a dry stone or plate would give the shading effect just like a worn plate. I think the dry stone/plate is more likely. All the shading is in small areas that the water would evaporate from more quickly.

Steve B

[ubiqty]

I went through all of my 117 e90-1 cards and the only ones with shaded areas as you are looking for are Phelps (posted earlier) and Tenney.
Thanks,
Scott.

[bijoem]

Originally Posted by ScottFandango

How come then, say the Fromme, has regular versions and shaded versions, BUT NOTHING IN BETWEEN...

wouldnt it be a slow progression from clean to dirty? havent found that... I havent seen any Frommes that have "just a bit if shading"..has anyone?>

It would not have to be a progression from clean to dirty.

You may find varying degrees of shading, but it is not necessary that you do.

Also - I am guessing after the pressman noticed the bad sheets, he thumbed down the lift and threw out the bad sheets. He may not have grabbed all of them - so we are left with some bad sheets that found their way into cutting and distribution.

Its all just guessing.

I have no idea what the quality control was at the print shop.