4. Book Review: Baseball Americana
The vast collections of vintage baseball cards and memorabilia now residing at the nation's foremost library provide the extensive illustrations used in the just released volume, Baseball Americana: Treasures from the Library of Congress. The lavishly illustrated book printed in a 9-1/2 x 12 inch coffee-table format not only documents the history of America's Game, but provides eye candy for collectors and non-collectors alike.
Published by Smithsonian Books (an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers), the volume is authored by Harry Katz (former head curator in the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress and a lifelong Red Sox fan), Frank Ceresi (a well-known baseball writer and Old Cardboard contributor), Phil Michel (who manages the Library's Prints and photographs Division archive of more than a million images) and Wilson McBee and Susan Reyburn (editors in the Library's Publishing Office).
More than 350 illustrations are found in the book--many never before published. They feature a variety of players, ballparks, vintage baseball card images, baseball sheet music, historical photos and other documents. The narrative and illustrations begin with baseball's early origins of the late nineteenth century and progress through the late 1970s.
All of the "treasures" described in the book reside today either in the LOC's main facility at the Jefferson Building, just across from the U. S. Capitol building, or in the nearby Madison Building. Together, they are derived from among eight divisions of the Library.
Tobacco Package Label
(registered with the LOC in 1867) |
|
Co-author Ceresi grew up in Alexandria, Virginia, "just across the Potomac" from the Library. His first exposure to the Library began as a ninth grader working on a school research assignment.
According to Ceresi, his role in researching Baseball Americana involved "a two year journey delving into the nooks and crannies at the Library. Where did we go and what did we see? You name it. We uncovered baseball prints, photographs, illustrations, posters, sheet music, film, post cards, newspapers, comics and ephemera of every kind and type."
"And we only scratched the surface!," Ceresi adds.
One example of the numerous color illustrations from the book is shown at left--identified as a tobacco package label. It is registered as item #1062 and filed with the Library on December 18, 1867 by Rube & Weikel, Proprietors. Interestingly, the woodcut engraving pictures a game in progress, a large crowd of spectators in the background and what appears to be an umpire sitting under an umbrella outside the first base path.
Baseball Americana: Treasures From the Library of Congress is available at bookstores. Retail price is $29.99 and can be found discounted from several online sellers. An eBook version is also available.
Note: selected example pages from the book as well as the Table of Contents and a complete Index can be viewed on the publisher's website.
5. News Briefs (A Digest of Recent Hobby Happenings)
Looking Back: Baseball's Biggest Scandal. It's now been ninety years since the Fall of 1919 and the World Series that marked one of the biggest controversies in baseball history--the infamous Black Sox scandal. While the eight Chicago White Sox players charged with fixing the Series were acquitted by a Grand Jury, newly-appointed baseball commissioner Kenesaw Landis banned them from baseball for life. Remarkably, vintage cards for seven of the eight "Black Sox" players can be found today in the popular W514 Strip Card Set issued in 1920-21 (including most notably Shoeless Joe Jackson). Fred McMullin is the only one of the eight not found in the W514 set.
Oldest Big Leaguer Turns 100. Tony Malinosky, who played infield for the 1937 Brooklyn Dodgers, turned 100 years young earlier this month. He was born October 5, 1909 and is the oldest living Big League player. Now living in California, he remains an avid Dodgers fan. During World War II, Malinosky fought in the Battle of the Bulge. We wish him health and happiness for many years to come.
Issue #21 on Track for November Delivery. Old Cardboard magazine Issue #21 (Fall 2009) is on schedule for distribution the middle of November as promised. In addition to Phil Garry's cover feature about "Collecting Hall of Fame Rookie Cards" (see eNews article #2 above), the issue includes articles written by hobby veterans Barry Sloate ("Brooklyn vs Philadelphia and the Baseball Battles of 1865") and Bill Cornell ("1911 Stevens Firearms Blotters: Connie Mack and his Starting Nine"). It also contains Part II of Jeff Schwarz' two-part blockbuster overview of vintage gum and candy wrappers. A Preview of the issue, including a cover image, table of contents and abstracts with thumbnail layouts for each article can be viewed on the Old Cardboard website. If you have not renewed your subscription, it is not to late to do it online now.
Lyman and Brett Hardeman
Old Cardboard, LLC.
Old Cardboard, LLC. was established in December 2003, to help bring information on vintage baseball card collecting to the hobbyist. Produced by collectors for collectors, this comprehensive resource consists of three components: (1) Old Cardboard Magazine, (2) a companion website at www.oldcardboard.com and (3) this eNewsletter. The Old Cardboard website contains more than 500 pages of descriptive reference information for baseball card sets produced fifty years ago or longer. Each of these set summaries has a direct set-specific link to 
auctions and a similar link to 
's powerful search engine for further research. The website also includes a Show and Auction Calendar, an eBay Top 50 Vintage Sellers List, and much more. As a result, the Old Cardboard website makes a great "Alt-tab" companion for vintage card shoppers and researchers. Old Cardboard eNews provides current hobby news, upcoming shows and auctions, and updates to the website and the magazine. It is published around the middle of each month. For a FREE subscription to the eNewsletter, or for subscription information on Old Cardboard Magazine, please visit the website at www.oldcardboard.com. If you find this information resource helpful, please tell your friends. We need your support and your feedback. Thank you.
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