2. Researcher Traces Exact Date for K-Bats Image
In a recent blog posting, baseball researcher Tom Shieber takes a detailed look at some photographs used to create the always elusive 1887 N690 Kalamazoo Bats tobacco cards. Tom's main focus was on several dual-player cards from the K-Bats set.
N690 #27 Irwin/Maul
|
One of these cards was the [Arthur] Irwin/[Al] Maul card (card #27 in the N690 Checklist on the Old Cardboard website). The card is compared at right with a vintage photo. The two images are slightly different but clearly taken moments apart in the same photo shoot.
In his well documented study, Shieber was able to narrow the dates (to either August 22 or August 23, 1887) that several of the photographs used in the N690 set were taken.
Further, as part of his research on the K-Bats set, Shieber:
- identified one of the players in the background of the Irwin/Maul photo (curiously, the players in the background do not appear in the N690 card).
- confirmed that "Lyons" in the Bastian/Lyons card (card #2 in the Checklist) is Harry, not Denny, as indicated in some hobby checklists, and
- provided full identifications for the "Lyons/Taylor" card (card #33 in the Checklist). "We've known for a while it was Jim Devlin, not Harry Lyons," Shieber told Old Cardboard, "but now we know that the name of the trainer is Tom Taylor, not Billy Taylor, as previously identified."
N690 #2 Bastian/Lyons
|
N690 #33 "Lyons/Taylor"
(image courtesy
Baseball Rarities)
|
All of the above discoveries are reflected in the N690 Kalamazoo Bats Checklist on the Old Cardboard website.
In his blog post, Shieber also diverts to a short but interesting biographical profile of Arthur Irwin--one of the most colorful of 19th century players. In addition to his several contributions to early baseball, Irwin is perhaps best known for his mysterious demise just weeks following revelations of his secret and concurrent marriages to two different women.
A full discussion of Shieber's research, along with details about Irvin's colorful life can be found on his Baseball Researcher blog.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Kalamazoo Bats, a cigarette brand manufactured by Charles Gross and Company of Philadelphia, produced several closely related baseball card sets in 1887. All are very rare and much sought-after by advanced collectors.
The Kalamazoo Bats sets are identified in the American Card Catalog as N690 and N693 (team cards). The N690 cards discussed above feature player or multiplayer (but not team) photographs attached to cardboard backing. The unnumbered set now totals 62 cards, although additional players are likely to be found. All cards measure 2-1/2 by 4 inches, a popular size in the nineteenth century known as Carte de Vista, or CDV, for mounting photographs smaller than cabinet size.
The player's name, position and team are placed inside a white panel inside the lower portion of the image. A copyright notice, "Copyright 1887 by Chas. Gross & Co." is found on most (but not all) cards in small lettering just below the image. At the bottom of the card in much larger letters is the promotion "Smoke Kalamazoo Bats."
| |
K-Bats Ad Back (click to enlarge)
|
Most N690 card backs carry a redemption promotion (see example at right). As seen, the ad-back cards list prizes that were available in return for the cards themselves.
The offer required the redemption of from 15 to 400 cards in exchange for prizes ranging in value from 25 cents to five dollars. This redemption of the cards themselves (rather than coupons) may explain, at least in part, the very small number of surviving cards from the set.
Only four teams are represented on the known N690 cards. The teams include two from New York (the Giants and the Mets) and two from Philadelphia (the Athletics and the Phillies).
A large portion of the N690 cards were produced in vertical format although several use horizontal poses.. The poses include both action and portraits. Of the 62 known cards in the set, 53 are of individual players; 9 cards were produced with two players featured in the photograph.
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