Bra-Mac vs. Bra-Mac Photos?

[thecatspajamas]

I haven't gotten much (any) response over on the Memorabilia side, so thought I would try here, which in hindsight probably should have been my first stop:

Can anyone help shed some light on the difference between these two series of photos? Were both produced by George Brace, or no? During the same time period? I know they're not that old, but they pre-date my firsthand experience in the hobby.



What I do know: The photo on the left (Higgins) is one of a set of 300 3-1/2"x5" photos produced by George Brace which he issued in 36 "series", each series having 8 photos, and for every 3 series you purchased you got 1 "bonus" photo which featured multiple players rather than the individual shots featured throughout the rest of the set. The individual photos were sequentially numbered to 288 and the bonus photos numbered to 12, so 300 photos in all. All of the photos were produced using George Burke's original photos which were then hand-tinted ("colorized"), the name and photo number labels applied (using the distinctive Dymo label-maker), and then re-shot to produce the smaller then-color photos. I've actually had a few of the 8"x10" hand-tinted originals in the past, as well as a full set of the 3-1/2"x5" photos, and seen a scan of the initial order form detailing the planned series, so other than the exact time-frame that they were issued, I'm pretty comfortable with those as a known set. [Edited to add: in searching previous posts, it seems these were produced in 1974-75?]

The photo on the right (Stephens) is the mystery to me. It is one of a number I have run across that appear to have been produced using the same process, and I have seen them called Bra-Mac photos when offered elsewhere, but there are a number of differences between the two sets (if the series on the right can be called a separate set). Those like the one on the right have a different, hand-lettered label applied (which is much less visible than the distinct Dymo labels), are not numbered, and from the examples I have seen, feature players from the 1940's and utilize photographs by other photographers besides Burke (Burke's photos may be featured in this series as well, as he was certainly active in the 1940's, but I haven't seen as many of these to say for sure). Both are 3-1/2"x5" in size and on identical "THIS PAPER MANUFACTURED BY KODAK" photo stock, which in itself would indicate they were produced in the 1970's-80's.

So does anyone have any additional information to add that might help me pin down the series on the right? Were both produced by Brace, or was Jim Rowe somehow involved with the Stephens series? Were they produced concurrently? Or is the Stephens series an earlier trial run with a scattershot assortment of individual players before putting out the Higgins series which more closely resembles an "official" numbered series? Anyone have any of the original order forms or advertisements for either? For all I know, this may all be common knowledge for those who have been in the hobby for long enough, but is a gap in my own knowledge that has been bugging me. Any help or additional information would be much appreciated.