This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/4/2014
Known by collectors of 19th Century baseball artifacts as the "Round Album," this incredible piece of baseball history is extremely rare as it was only made available through a mail-in offer for a set number of coupons that were inserted into packs of Goodwin Tobacco. The album features advertising for various tobacco products inside the cover but is coveted for its tremendously colorful and detailed artwork of the game's best players of the era. Delivered with the same delicate workmanship as the tobacco cards but on a much grander scale, the portraits of Cap Anson, Mike Kelly, Charles Comiskey and Montgomery Ward stand alone with other player collages that include Buck Ewing, Tim Keefe, Roger Conner and Mickey Welch, all bound together with a delicately thin rope. While single examples from the Round Album sporadically become available at auction, it's almost unheard of to encounter one completely intact, and it almost assuredly will be heavily creased in the area around the hole, a result of "turning the pages" or being "fanned out" as intended. However, this specimen is easily the best preserved example that we have ever seen! The baseball illustrated front cover has a minor crease toward the open end with some light marks around the hole on both covers but the pages within show virtually no sign of age or wear save for some light spotting on the reverse of each page. This incredible album has long been on the want list of many notable collectors and you likely will never see another that can even approach the amazing condition that this piece offers!