1912 World Series poster, can you solve the mystery?

[T206Jim]

That is a tremendous clue, and one I suspect that is dead on. The strip on the left visible in the snapshot is not a repair of any tear or weakness in the board, rather it appears to be consistent with an adhesive to attach the page into a larger book. The WWI photos are over the binding, not under it, which lends credence to the fact the strip on the left is original to the piece. Also the "pants" order form visible on the back almost ensures that this was once part of a men's clothing book at one time. What do you know about these type of sample books? Thanks for your help, you have shed light on the mystery, Net 54 is indeed a treasure trove of information.

Jim

[GehrigFan]

Yes, bgar3 is spot on. I have seen several of these clothing sample pages come through Heritage, with baseball photos on the opposite side. They are quite unusual - my guess is that they simply were using a popular men's sport to entice men to flip through the pages of their new clothing lines. Some of them are specifically showing players who endorsed clothing lines, like Christy Mathewson or Ty Cobb, but others like yours it is doubtful that all those World Series players had a line of clothing. They don't sell for a huge amount usually, but as most of them seem to be unique examples, they can still get a few hundred or even $1000+ in some instances. Nice piece!

Mark

[T206Jim]

Thanks Mark, your confirmation is definitive. What similar type pieces have you seen and how would I locate them on the Heritage site?

[HRBAKER]

I agree, moat likely from a large book of fabric "swatches" for men's suiting.

[btcarfagno]

I picked this one up at Heritage about six months ago. It almost seemed like some sort of placemat. Somewhat rigid backing and the large size.

Tom C

[T206Jim]

Thanks again for the help. I decided to keep the piece and frame it for my study.

[johnmh71]

Originally Posted by T206Jim

Thanks again for the help. I decided to keep the piece and frame it for my study.

As someone who collects Red Sox dynasty items, I have to say that it is one awesome item. Congrats.