m113 Walter Johnson's Pitching Arm - seeking opinions

[doug.goodman]

As some of you are aware, I have a thing for the m113 / m114 Baseball Magazine posters, and have been working on determining their individual release dates.

Basing my findings primarily on advertisements for the posters in individual issues of the magazine, (which started with Ty Cobb in August 1909), while using the various caption printing styles to lump some of them together (which generally matches the ads), I am getting very close to releasing an updated catalog for the m113s.

But Walter Johnson's Pitching Arm is blocking my way.

Johnson (v2-1) Walter ARM 1504 LBNK N215 R320 m113F .jpg

For the sake of this conversation I am ignoring that there are four known printings of the poster, focusing instead on just trying to determine when the first of them would have been released.

m113 differences - Johnson (v2) Walter ARM small.jpg



Johnson is first advertised in the September 1912 issue.

1912-09 First Ad.JPG

But when first pictured in the October 1912 issue, he has just thrown the ball while wearing a sweater.

1912-10 First Pictured.JPG

This vertical picture (which I call his "type 1") continues to be pictured in every issue thru and including November of 1913. Starting in December 1913 no picture or mention of Johnson appears in the poster ads.

However, that December issue does contain the first of a three part series of stories about the arms of pitchers.

1913-10 BBM Pitchers Arms Story pt1 (13) small.jpg


That picture of Johnson bears a striking similarity to the posters, but a few pages later is what might be the same picture used for the poster.

1913-10 BBM Pitchers Arms Story pt1 (15) small.jpg

The story, along with the pictures of Johnson's arm would seem to set an obvious release date for the poster, except for the fact that he has been removed from the ads.

Also, every m113 poster of an individual is vertical and shows their full body, except Walter Johnson's Pitching Arm.

And, every horizontal m113 is of a team, except Walter Johnson's Pitching Arm.

How could they have released such a unique image on a poster without mentioning it in the ads, or anywhere in the magazines that I can find?

I don't understand it.



Fast forward to the April 1915 issue, which finds Johnson again mentioned in the ads, albeit with no picture, and no fanfare.

1915-04 1 full.JPG

Don't see his name? He's hidden in fine print.

1915-04 1 zoom.JPG

He remains hidden in the fine print thru January 1935, well into the m114 era which starts in Dec 1916.


It makes sense that Johnson would return to the ads in the April issue as it's the Walter Johnson tribute issue. No less than 41 pages devoted to him, plus the cover.

1915-04 BBM Johnson Issue (11) small.JPG

But nowhere in that issue is the poster mentioned.

I am currently of the opinion that April 1915 is when the Arm poster was released, basing that opinion solely on his return to the ads, but I go back and forth on whether it might be December 1913. Both dates have their own logic.


If you have an opinion, or better yet some sort of "proof", as to the release date for the initial Walter Johnson's Pitching Arm poster PLEASE share it here.

Thank you very much,
Doug