This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/7/2009
This seemingly pack-fresh pasteboard hails from the landmark 1887 Old Judge Cigarettes issue and features George "Dandy" Wood, one of five famous "northern professionals" who once participated in an integrated game against "the colored professional nine" of New Orleans. According to BaseballLibrary.com, citing an 1881 account from the Chicago Tribune (printed 14 months after the exhibition game), "Tim Keefe pitched, Charlie Bennett caught, John Sullivan played first base, and George Wood and George Creamer were 'intrusted with the onerous task of filling the other six positions.'" NM corners join NM/MT to MINT rough-cut edges around a powerful image that favors the left edge. The image displays incredible contrast for the issue (that is, the relative difference between light and dark areas) as well as tremendous focus, right down to the laces of Dandy's cleats and the curl of his period moustache. There are no imperfections to be found on the surface photo, and the board to which it is pasted is stain-free with a pair of pin-pricks of darker paper pulp observable within the card stock. Very rarely can we say that something a century and a quarter old appears to be brand new, but such appears to be the case with this magnificently preserved pasteboard.