S74 Collectors - Need help with theory regarding white version checklist

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Posted By: Bob Casmer

Been working on collecting the S74-1 (white version) and S74-2 (colored version) sets of silks for quite a while. I recently found the last S74-2 colored silk I needed (thanks to Dan Paradis) a little over a month ago. There are still five of the S74-1 white version silks eluding me. In talking with other collectors over the years, these same five silks seem to be on everyone else's want list also. I'm beginning to wonder if these actually exist and I have a possible theory about it.

To help, I'm trying get confirmation from anyone that collects the S74-1 white version silks of having owned or ever seen an S74-1 silk WITH THE PAPER ADVERTISING BACK STILL ATTACHED of the following five players:

Peaches Graham (w/Cubs)
Tommy Leach
Bugs Raymond
Doc Scanlon (Scanlan)
Harry Steinfeldt (w/Rustlers)

Bear with me as I explain my theory. Each of these five listed S74-1 white version silks is also listed as being part of the S74-2 colored silk checklist. As I noted above, I have a complete S74-2 set so I can confirm that each one of these actually exists as a colored version silk. Of the five, Graham and Steinfeldt are actually listed as existing on two different teams in the S74-1 white version. Oddly enough, Graham is shown with the Rustlers and Steinfeldt with the Cubs on the versions that I do have examples of and know exist.

In going back and doing some research on the players' careers, I found that Graham played with the Rustlers in 1910 and then played for the Cubs in 1911. Same thing for Steinfeldt. He's shown as playing for the Cubs in 1910 and then for the Rustlers in 1911. There's no overlap of either of them playing for both teams in one year and the 1910 and 1911 dates correspond to the supposed release dates for the S74-1 (1910) and S74-2 (1911) silks. I didn't go so far as to find the exact dates they were traded to their new teams but, it looks pretty clear that the trades occurred after the end of the 1910 season and before the start of the 1911 season for both of them. If that is the case, then why would these two be listed on the 1910 released S74-1 silks with teams that they didn't play with till 1911? They are properly shown as being with their new teams in 1911 on the 1911 released S74-2 silks. No S74-2 colored silks are shown with two different teams for any player, which made me wonder, "Why would they have listed them on two teams for the 1910 S74-1 silks then?" Made no sense.

For anyone that has ever collected the silks, you've probably noticed that there is a difference in the material used between the two years. The S74-1 white version silks seem to have used a thicker, more coarse material, while S74-2 colored version silks used a finer, more satiny (not sure that is a word) kind of material. The material choice may have had something to do with the fact that the white version silks had the paper advertisements attached to the backs while the colored version silks had no backing.

In my collection, I've got a couple S74-2 colored version silks that are made from the same material that was used for the S74-1 white version silks. You can tell they're S74-2 silks because they show the printing for the tobacco brand and/or factory they came from on the front of the silk at either the very top or bottom. You don't see them very often, if at all though. Here's where my theory comes.

I'm wondering if after the 1910 S74-1 series they decided to change the silks for any of a variety of reasons. Since they were intended to be used in making pillows and quilts, the use of mutiple colors made a lot of sense as the ladies would be the ones mostly using the silks. Also, the paper backing used with the S74-1 silks already explained what they were to be used for. Maybe the tobacco company figured by now everyone knew what to do with the silks and they looked to save some money by not having to produce and attach a separate advertising back to each one. Also, the white version material (really more of a manila than white color) being thicker, may have been more expensive. Whatever the reason, they decided to change what they were printing the silks on. I'm wondering if they made the change in materials from the white to the multi-colored fabrics right after starting to print the S74-2 version silks in 1911? They may have only used the white version material for a short period of time, accounting for the relative rarity I think in seeing white colored S74-2 silks. Then, over time the silks often start fraying. I can easily see how a white version of the S74-2 silks could have the tobacco brand and factory number be removed by fraying and look like they were actually an S74-1 silk. That is why I'm asking if anyone has or can confirm seeing any of the five listed silks with advertising backs still attached. If not, frayed versions of the S74-2 silks may explain why these were ever included on the S74-1 checklist.

Sorry for being long-winded. if my theory proves out though, it may show that the checklist is incorrect. Thanks for any help.

Bob