Posted By:
Brian Weisner Hi Art,
Thanks for posting the picture, as I promised you I never would. I have been trying to help Art add to this group and have at least one example that may go to the left of Beckley. The problem is, that all sheets are not laid out the same and some players are found beside different players on different sheets, making it next to impossible to know exactly what players are on what sheets. This may help explain why some players appear to be long or short printed in the set.
Art's cards appear to have been handcut from a sheet, and do have Sweet Caporal backs, not the normal blank ones. I also have several factory cut example which match exactly that are Piedmont 350's that I will post later.
Ted, while you and I agree quite a bit, I'm 100% with Art on this one, I believe the cards were printed in sheets of 18-24 with the same player appearing vertically with a different player on the Horizontal.
I believe all of the cards were printed(front and back) by the American Lithograph company in NY and then distributed to the factories for insertion. All indications also indicate that the American Lithograph Co was a subsidary of the ATC and produced millions of cards and coupons during this period. It's much easier and more cost effective to keep one factory cranking out the cards than it is to set up print runs at each factory just to print the backs. The same can be said for the packaging, packs, cartons and shipping containers were all produced in one or 2 strategic locations and then distributed to the factories for completion. And interestingly enough it is still being done that way today.
Here in Winston-Salem, NC Reynolds Tobacco company owns several subsidaries that do nothing, but produce the packaging for there products even though most of there cigarettes aren't made here anymore.
Now, I'm off to find scans.... Be well Brian