April 4, 2024: Spring Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/4/2024
Collectors from the 1980s and 1990s will remember a dozen or more attractive issues featuring the remarkable photography of Charles Martin Conlon, but the one they may not remember – the very first such effort – is almost certainly the most difficult to find and hands-down the best of a very august contingent. The 4-by-5-inch blank-backed cards are stunning, featuring sepia-toned images of the greatest players in the land brought to life by the game’s most revered photographer, who produced a seemingly priceless historical archive spanning the years 1915-35. The cards were offered directly from The Sporting News, owners of the famed Conlon glass plates, and came in an elegant slipcase. As you might imagine, the roster is a Who’s Who of baseball immortals from the period, including Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Honus Wagner, Grover Alexander, George Sisler, Joe Jackson, Tris Speaker, Jimmie Foxx, Bill Terry, Mel Ott, Lefty Grove, Hack Wilson, Chuck Klein, Connie Mack, John McGraw, et. al, with almost all in stunning up-close portraits that provide perhaps the best look at so many of the game’s legendary figures. The Sporting News’ iconic Old English style typeface is at the top of each card and player name, team and position across the bottom, all showcased with exceptional gloss and clarity. A relative handful of these classic cards have been handled by PSA, and we have four of them included with this Near-Mint to Near-Mint to Mint or better raw set. The four slabs provide a nice glimpse into the wider condition range, though the reasoning behind a PSA 5 designation for the No. 1 Cobb card is beyond the scope of our understanding. The other three slabs: No. 4 Ruth – PSA 8, No. 5 Gehrig – PSA 7 and No. 9 Mathewson – PSA 9.
1981 The Sporting News First Conlon Issue in Super Grade (100)
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