Does Anyone Know?

[clydepepper]

Who the artist who painted the 1953 Topps set.

[bgar3]

I believe many of them were painted by Gerry Dvorak.

[vthobby]

"Topps went to the expense of paying artist Gerry Dvorak $25 per card to sketch and paint the players. Although the 1953 Topps Baseball card set contains some attractive action shots, the set is primarily noted for its carefully drawn expressions, which are chronicled on the headshots shown on the cards."

mike

PS It still boggles my mind how one guy (it appears he did them all) painted the entire set under what would have been a very tight deadline. Incredible!

[clydepepper]

Originally Posted by vtgmsc

"Topps went to the expense of paying artist Gerry Dvorak $25 per card to sketch and paint the players. Although the 1953 Topps Baseball card set contains some attractive action shots, the set is primarily noted for its carefully drawn expressions, which are chronicled on the headshots shown on the cards."

mike

PS It still boggles my mind how one guy (it appears he did them all) painted the entire set under what would have been a very tight deadline. Incredible!

I couldn't agree more Mike. To be honest, I was being lazy posting the question - I have signed prints of Feller & Ford stashed away somewhere...just can't find them right away. When I do find them again, I'll have them framed and on the wall.

The sheer quantity of that job boggles the mind, but when you add in the time constraint, it's truly amazing!

[vthobby]

Raymond,

I seem to remember either at a Philly show or maybe an older National in Chicago maybe 20 years ago or so, Gerry Dvorak was set up at a table signing prints. I ended up getting a Mantle signed by him but for the life of me, can't remember what I did with it!

I may have to do some digging around. Your prints may have come from those shows?

take care, mike

[clydepepper]

I found his obit - dated 9.10/99 at age 85- it said he painted 'many' of the players in the 1953 set. I know he painted the Mantle, but I wonder which ones were his work - I can see a difference between, say Jackie Robinson and Luke Easter - and I think the Easter painting is much better. Anyone have a favorite? I like the Al Rosen card.

[bgar3]

I recall seeing an earlier post (runscott i believe) where they talked about meeting Dvorak at a card show and he was picking out the cards he painted from a stack of 53's. I no longer own it, but I once had him paint an image of Ashburn for me. I was also too stupid to have him do it as if it was a '53 topps card, which would have been quite nice.

[btcarfagno]

I recall there being an art show on the main street in the town I grew up in....must have been mid 1980's or so. Dvorak was set up and me and my father talked to him for a little while. He did not do the art for all of the 1953 set. He said that there were several artists. I forget the number that he said he did but for some reason I don't think that it was more than 50. He signed a print for us that day that my father still has.

Tom C