Who Was America's First Card Collector?

[Leon]

We were fortunate enough to have a few dealings with Walt's best friend, Dr.James Lowe (who almost single handedly wrote the book on postcards), from an ebay transaction with his son and board member, Jeff Lowe. I believe Mr.Lowe was with Walt when he passed away and/or also might have performed the memorial service for him. As I recall Mr.Lowe was in the ministry too. (Don't hold my feet to the fire for any of this, this is what I remember him telling me, but it was several years ago). We were able to acquire Mr.Corson's lists of cards and here is a letter he had written to him. This "hoard" was also where the oft shown Jefferson Burdick letter(s) came from. I think all of these guys were the first real card collectors in America, along with Lionel and the other early collectors previously mentioned in another thread.

(shown many times but still apropos and neat)

Leon

Great post


If you can make copies (if they are not too fragile) we would love to see them.

Would be great to have a post on collectors correspondence


Bruce Dorskind
America's Toughest Want List
bdorskind@dorskindgroup.com

[vintagechris]

Great reads guys.

[tbob]

Gilliam Squires had to be one of the first collectors of PCL cards. His stamped Obaks are all over the place from 1909-11.

[tedzan]

Former Georgia Senator Richard B. Russell collected most of his enormous (1000+) T-cards as a teenager during 1909-1911.
This collection is fully documented where it is on display at the University of Georgia (Athens, GA).

Russell's set is one of the very few in the BB card hobby that can boast having the 2 most scarcest 20th Century BB cards.
The T206 Doyle error and the Red Ty Cobb with the Ty Cobb back. His T206 set consists of 500+ cards and his T210 set is
near complete.

Can we say that Richard Russell is the "first documented Card Collector" ?

Or, perhaps Connie Mack, who collected American Caramel cards in 1908-1912 ? ?


TED Z

[Leon]

Originally Posted by tbob

Gilliam Squires had to be one of the first collectors of PCL cards. His stamped Obaks are all over the place from 1909-11.

Don't forget that guy named "Alfred" that has his name on so many of our PCL cards. That guy really got around.

[Matt]

America's first card collector was probably a kid back in the 1880s whose identity has been lost to time.

[GoldenAge50s]

Originally Posted by Matt

America's first card collector was probably a kid back in the 1880s whose identity has been lost to time.

You're right Matt---a few SOMEBODYS from the 1880's had to be collectors for all those OJ's to have survived!

[Bicem]

Originally Posted by Matt

America's first card collector was probably a kid back in the 1880s whose identity has been lost to time.

Steve Murray.