My 1956 Topps Project

RCMcKenzie · #1 02-17-2020, 06:29 PM

My condolences, Eric.

Best of luck with your 1956 Topps project. It's a great set to work on...Rob

Eric72 · #2 02-18-2020, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RCMcKenzie

My condolences, Eric.

Best of luck with your 1956 Topps project. It's a great set to work on...Rob

Thanks, Rob. I appreciate the kind words.

Eric72 · #3 02-18-2020, 07:09 PM

I completed the Phillies team set back around New Year's Day. I was almost finished posting the individual cards by mid-January; however, got sidetracked for a while.

I am going to show the last two Phillies cards without a whole lot of conversation. Don't get me wrong, they're still beautiful to me. It's just that I look at images of Phillies from the mid-50's (through the early 60's) in a different light now. They were the players my father grew up watching, and I can't help but think about him as I look at these.

It feels rather good to get back into the swing of things, though. I look forward to posting the other cards I've picked up so far. Hopefully, I'll have that done before the Philly Show next weekend. Then, I can pick up some more cards and continue this '56 Topps journey.

JollyElm · #4 02-18-2020, 08:07 PM

Man, Baumholtz is having a real hard time getting to second...probably because he appears to be sliding sharply uphill!!!

Eric72 · #5 02-24-2020, 09:57 AM

After completing the Phillies team set, I decided to set my sights on the Big Apple. In 1956, baseball fans in New York had not yet felt the sting of losing two of their three teams. The Yankees were perennial favorites, the Dodgers had just won their first World Series, and the Giants captured a championship the year before. New York was the center of the baseball universe, and most of the brightest stars played their home games in the city that never sleeps.

The background picture on this Bob Cerv card exhibits many of the small details I enjoy from the 1956 Topps set. The stands are filled with fans, giving the scene a lively feel. Adding to the energy of this image is the twisted body of Cerv as he rounds first base. There is also a small cloud of dust around his feet, further displaying Cerv's somewhat frenetic movement.

Perhaps the most interesting detail is one that I missed when first looking at the card. At a spot roughly halfway between Cerv's chest and the ear of his portrait, there is a white sphere. Sure enough, it's a baseball. There are even visible stitches on the thing. Its size makes the ball appear closer (to the viewer) than the rest of the subjects in this scene. Additionally, it leaves me to wonder what happened to the ball before and after this precise moment in time.

Such a detail reinforces the depth and realism Topps likely sought to present with this image. It also truly brings me into the action. I can almost imagine being along the first base line on a late afternoon, watching the action up-close as the shadows grew longer and the game sped towards its conclusion.

EDIT TO ADD: I'm still not entirely sure Cerv is rounding first base here. the curvature of the dirt and presence of the foul line certainly led me to believe it was first. However, the stands in the background also seem to be located along the first base line. That scene even appears to include a dugout. Maybe Topps fused two images together? I'd love to hear some theories.

56Horsehide · #6 03-05-2020, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric72

Such a detail reinforces the depth and realism Topps likely sought to present with this image. It also truly brings me into the action. I can almost imagine being along the first base line on a late afternoon, watching the action up-close as the shadows grew longer and the game sped towards its conclusion.

EDIT TO ADD: I'm still not entirely sure Cerv is rounding first base here. the curvature of the dirt and presence of the foul line certainly led me to believe it was first. However, the stands in the background also seem to be located along the first base line. That scene even appears to include a dugout. Maybe Topps fused two images together? I'd love to hear some theories.

I think he is sliding into 3rd base and that is the 1st base dugout in the background. As a result of your posts, I am certainly going to take a much closer look at my '56 cards (57-60 too!).

JollyElm · #7 03-05-2020, 03:22 PM

The problem, though, is the curvature of the dirt. Unless I'm wrong, you don't see that on the inside of the infield area, just on the outside.

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