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1888
Die-Cut Scraps - Footballers - Giant Relief No. 204
Die-Cut Scraps - Cricketers - Giant Relief No. 203
Raphael Tuck & Sons
USA/UK
4 Rugby players
4 Footballers
6 Cricketers
I previously included an article showing 6 of the footballers, some in poor condition - http://cartophilic-info-exch.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/unknown-issuer-die-cut-footballers-1890s.html. Here is a complete sheet of two sets of the footballers as issued. Apparently the first four are not rugby players but American Footballers depicted wearing Ivy League colours. These are so rare that I've decided to include the cricket ones too.
Update:
These two items attracted a total of 50 bids on eBay and eventually sold for £1,913.00.
Rugby
The Captain
A Drop
Going for a try
Lifting a Goal
Football
Don't swallow it old man!
Are you ready?
A Full Stop
Ready for anything
Cricket
Play
Played Sir
Bowled indeed
Oh
An unexpected rise
Just takes his gloves off
Hi, can I ask how you know that the first 4 are American footballers? As the language on the cards is similar to the 'Sport's Girls' series (Ogden's cigarettes) that you have also blogged about, if one is Am Foot it might be that the other is as well... ???
ReplyDeleteHi Lydia,
ReplyDeleteWhen I added these illustrations I had learned that some collectors were referring to those first four as American Footballers rather than rugby players because of the Ivy League colours. Whether there is any truth in that I don't really know. These originated in the United Kingdom and were printed in Germany but Raphael Tuck also had offices in the U.S.
I have noticed that one of the four includes the phrase "Going for a try" which seems to indicate it's a rugby player and I can't find any reference to the word 'try' being used in American Football.
Kind regards,
Alan
US reader here. Wanted to add that "going for a try" could refer to a field goal or point after touchdown in American football. "Try" started being replaced by "attempt" during the 1920's and 1930's (please don't ask me why). Field goals can only be scored by kicking, however, and the point after touchdown was also a kicking play until 1958 at the amateur level and 1994 at the professional level. With that in mind, I have to agree that those die cuts are ruggers. A shame, because I have 2 and they would be tied with the 1888 Goodwin Champions Harry Beecher for the distinction of oldest known American football cards.
DeleteHi Brian,
DeleteThat's very interesting, they are lovely cards.
I recently came across a bunch of these, punched out... got them graded by SGC and all came back as gradeable except one that was too fragile. Any advice on finding values? I have 3 soccer and 3 cricket.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, I don't think I've seen any sold since I published this post on my blog. Sorry, I'd have no idea of value.
Delete