Correcting information on the N660 "N537" "N668" Little Rhody James J. Corbett

[G1911]

TL;DR - It is an N660, not an N537, and it is probably from 1896-1897, not the 1880's or early 1890's. My notes and findings are not in accord with anything I have read on this card, so I'd like to correct the record for the maybe five people who could possible care .



First off, to be super technical, Burdick cataloged this card as a 668. 668 is a group he used for cards that appeared to be 19th century tobacco premiums but he didn't know a maker or exact set, which is perfectly understandable as Burdick's copy has the bottom ad trimmed off and there are lots of similar looking sets.

N537 and its types

Little Rhody issued multiple similar sets dominated by actresses, one of which is N537 which is usually divided into two types. The first type is conventionally split into three subtypes, and the second type split into two subtypes. Really, the set should just be split into four or five rather than two types with multiple subtypes beneath those two.

The first generally acknowledged type comes with three subsets. 1) It comes with a clone of the N576 series that has sepia photos paired to a yellow blank backed card stock. 2) more unnamed actresses in a mauve/sepia coloring, with a black border stock, and black bank backs. 3) is very similar to 2), but with dark sepia photographs that look different. Subjects do not seem to be shared between 2) and 3), signifying they are different series of cards released rather than a pedantic variation in tone.

The second type utilizes colored pictures. The first subtype, 4), has 25 more unnamed actresses that use the same pictures as in N359, a set put out by the Ideal and Cockade brands of cut plug tobacco. They are about 2 3/8 x 4 inches. The second subtype, 5), is slightly smaller, about 2 1/4 x 3 15/16 and is very similar in subject. Both have light colored borders on front and black stock for the blank backs.

Corbett does not fit any of these types. SGC calls it an N537, Adam's excellent book an N537-2. I've never seen it called anything except an N537. Corbett cannot be a type 2 card as he is not in color. He is not subtype 1), as 1) lacks a black front stock, which leaves us with with 2) and 3). Corbett fits neither of these groups, though. His photograph does not appear to belong in 2) because it is not a mauve tint, but it also does not match with the dark sepia of 3). Another distinct difference is that the Corbett card is not an unnamed picture but gives his name at the base of the photograph. A third point of difference is that the brand advertising caption is different; the words are the same, “Use Little Rhody Cut Plug”, but in all the actress cards the “use” is in a much smaller font. On Corbett’s card, “Use” is the same size as the other words and, instead, it is “cut” that is shrunk down.

N660
N660 is a grouping of similar Little Rhody issues, again in several types. The first two depict actresses without names or identification. The fourth and fifth have whiter borders and backs, separated by the presence or lack of names. The rarely seen sixth type is similar to the prior two, but has the branding in a different, smaller type and names the subjects. It is the third type that has the same exact formatting as the Corbett card, and names all of its subjects, who are mostly actresses but also include a small number of non-stage subjects, is the one that the Corbett is actually from. Other non-stage subjects depict Queen Victoria, William Gladstone, William McKinley and Prince Albert. That the non-stage subjects are largely British politicians is interesting, as this is an American issued set. Different subjects come in different sizes, measuring around 2 1/8 x4 or 2 x 3 5/8. There are at minimum 166 different cards identified today, with many of the depicted subjects having up to five different poses.

Dating
SGC slabs it as "1890s", Adam's handy guide as "1880s", the Met calls it "C. 1888." I suspect it is actually from C. 1896-1897. Corbett was the world champion heavyweight from 1892-1897, and would make sense to be the solitary boxer featured during this time frame, but that is not proof. Corbett generally does not appear in cards on the 1880's, as he did not attain any real ring prominence until the back half of 1889 and it was only in the 1890's that he rose to be a real challenger for Sullivan's crown. This is not proof though.

The more telling card for dating is the card of William McKinley. He is the only American political figure included in the set. He is not identified by title, only name. Little Rhody was one of George Young's brands, which was a fairly small local manufacturer and storefront in Rhode Island. Ohio's Governor would not be of much interest above and beyond other American leaders. McKinley secured the Republican nomination for the White House in June of 1896, was elected by the voters in November 1896, and assumed the Presidency in March of 1897. Before mid 1896, McKinley would be a very strange choice as the only American leader to get a card. After March of 1897, he would probably but not certainly be identified as "Pres. William McKinley". The set likely dates to sometime within these political events, putting it not too long before Corbett lost his crown to Ruby Rob, just a couple weeks after McKinley began his reign.



It is a tough card. I do not own one, but here are the 4 copies my archive knows of. The last one is Burdick's card, that lead to the first miscategorization of N668.