T206 inclusion letter to Neal Ball
Written by Dennis Purdy (VCBC - July/August 1997)
Given the plethora of
sports memorabilia auctions today, with
their countless items of baseball
collectibles offered, we rarely see offered
items that document the connection
between the hobby and the sport. One such
rare glimpse is now possible with the
discovery of a letter to be offered in the
Robert Edward Auction on June 28, 1997.
The item offered is a 1909 letter from
a newspaper writer, Bozeman Bulger, to
Neal Ball, a shortstop with the New York
Highlanders (they didn't become the
Yankees until 1913). This letter, measuring
approximately 7-1/2" by 8-1/2" on New
York Americans official stationery, was
dated January 29, 1909 and is actually an
early style form letter.
The personalized salutation ["Dear Neil" (sic)]
is in a purple type and the
balance of the letter in a black type which
makes obvious that this was one of a
number of copies created at the same time
by carbon copy. The letter reads:
Dear Neil:
I am getting up a scheme with the
American Lithograph Company to get out
a series of nicely colored pictures of "The
star ball players of America" which will
be put in cigarette boxes like they used to
print the pictures of actors and actresses.
I have all the photographs but, under a new
law they have here, I will have to get your
permission to use them. I am sending a
slip which I want you to sign so I can go
on and finish up the pictures. It would be
a great favor to me if you would send this
back as soon as you can. Several of the
boys have already sent theirs,
With best wishes, I am.
Your friend,
(signed) Bozeman Bulger
Evening World
This letter is asking for Neal Ball's
permission to be included in what today
we call the T206 set. The discovery of this
letter is of extraordinary significance to the
T206 series as well as relating to the legend
of the T206 Wagner.
This letter shows that the ballplayers
appearing in the T206 series did, in fact,
have to give their permission to appear in
the set. Furthermore, this letter is consistent
with an article which was published in the
Oct. 24, 1912 issue of The Sporting News
which provides an original source of
documentation of the legend of the Honus
Wagner card. The article reads in part: "Not
long ago a firm of tobacco manufacturers
wrote to a local newspaper man and asked
him to secure a picture of Hans Wagner to
be given away with cigarettes together with
the written permission of the big Dutchman
to use it. The writer was promised a liberal
fee for his work..." The article goes on to
relate the story that when the Pittsburgh
sportswriter wrote to Honus Wagner, he
soon received a response from Hans staling
that he "did not care to have his picture in
a package of cigarettes."
The Ball letter is the same type of letter
which Wagner received regarding his
inclusion in the set. Bozeman Bulger (the
writer of the Neal Ball letter) was one of
the most prominent New York sportswriters
of the day. It is interesting to note that Ball
and Wagner were sent letters by different
sportswriters. Apparently the tobacco
companies contracted with the most
prominent sportswriters from each city to
make arrangements and secure permission
from the local players selected to appear
in the set.
This letter, an incredible find of
historical significance to the baseball card
hobby, is described as in Excellent
condition and will be sold with the original
mailing envelope, which is postmarked
Feb. 19, 1909.
SIDE NOTE:
This item has been re-sold for a bargain price $1,725 in the Barry Halper Auction on September 23-29, 1999.
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