2019 Summer Premium Live and Catalog Auction Lots 1-82 Close Aug 1- 83-end close 8/10
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/11/2019
Graded 20 FR 1.5 by SGC, one of just eight examples validated by that company. Hall of Famer. During the latter part of the 19th Century, "cabinet" cards were the flagship issue of any commercial trade card or general photographic enterprise. These items were intended to be the grand showcasing of the art form, a dramatically flamboyant demonstration of the producer's ultimate capabilities. The corresponding everyday product, such as a small photo or a regular-sized advertising card, was merely the routinely distributed thumbnail sketch of the cabinet's splendor. One company's contribution to this superlative genre of collectibles is found in Duke's majestic N142 "Honest"-brand cabinet cards, made between 1893 and 1895. Just four ballplayer subjects were chosen for immortalization in this color-cabinet medium, and the entry depicting period superstar and .400 hitter Ed Delehanty is presented here. Posing in distinguished fashion in the uniform of the Philadelphia Nationals, Delehanty (or “Delahanty”) is shown with a steady gaze and a studio-perfect expression. The front of his 6" x 9" card displays super high quality for the issue, with minor edge faults and the barest hints of flaking around the gracefully rounded corners. On the reverse, a couple of mild tape-stain spots can be seen. Here’s an ideal representative from an extraordinary issue, projecting a fabulous, minimally Excellent obverse aesthetic. Technically assessed Fair condition.