• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Get Sports Collectors Daily via EMail
    • Advertise with SC Daily
    • Write for Sports Collectors Daily
    • Write About Your Sports Collection
    • Where Can I Sell My Baseball Cards?
  • Hot on eBay
    • Most Watched Graded Rookies
    • Most Watched PSA 10 Cards
    • Most Watched BGS, BVG Cards
    • Most Watched SGC Cards
    • Most Watched CSG,CGC Cards
    • Most Watched Baseball Cards
      • Most Watched 2023 Baseball Cards
      • Most Watched 2022 Baseball Rookie Cards
      • Bowman Chrome Cards
      • Ronald Acuna Jr. Cards
      • Shohei Ohtani Cards
      • Mike Trout Cards
      • Fernando Tatis Jr. Cards
      • Babe Ruth Cards
      • Hank Aaron Cards
      • Jackie Robinson Cards:
      • Mickey Mantle Cards
      • Willie Mays Cards
      • Vintage Baseball Card Sets
      • T206 Cards
    • Most Watched Basketball
      • Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2022-23 NBA Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2021-22 NBA Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2020-21 NBA Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2019-20 NBA Rookie Cards
        • Zion Williamson Rookie Cards
        • Ja Morant Rookie Cards
      • Michael Jordan Cards
      • Kobe Bryant Cards
      • LeBron James Rookie Cards
      • Nikola Jokic Rookie Cards
      • Giannis Antetokounmpo Cards
      • Luka Doncic Rookie Cards
      • Prizm Basketball Cards
      • Panini National Treasures
    • Most Watched Football Cards
      • Most Watched NFL Rookie Cards
      • 2023 NFL Rookie Cards
      • 2022 NFL Rookie Cards
        • Brock Purdy Rookie Cards
      • 2021 NFL Rookie Cards
      • 2020 NFL Rookie Cards
        • Joe Burrow Rookie Cards
        • Justin Herbert Rookie Cards
        • Jalen Hurts Rookie Cards
      • Josh Allen Rookie Cards
      • Patrick Mahomes Rookie Cards
      • Tom Brady Cards
    • Most Watched Hockey Cards
      • Top 100 Most Watched Hockey Rookie Cards
      • Most Watched 2021-22 NHL Rookie Cards
      • Most Watched 2020-21 Rookie Cards
      • Most Watched 2019-20 Rookie Cards
      • Connor McDavid Cards
      • Wayne Gretzky Cards
      • Bobby Orr Cards
    • Most Watched Soccer Cards
    • Most Watched UFC Cards
    • Most Watched Golf Cards
    • Most Watched 1 of 1 Cards
    • Most Watched Topps SuperFractors
    • Most Watched Racing Cards
    • Top Sports Card Dealers on eBay
    • Most Watched Memorabilia
      • Vintage Sports Memorabilia
      • Vintage Sports Tickets, Stubs
      • Most Watched Autographs
  • Ending Soon on Ebay
    • Baseball Cards
    • Basketball Cards
    • Football Cards
    • Hockey Cards
    • Soccer Cards
    • Golf Cards
    • UFC Cards
  • Top - Ad

Sports Collectors Daily

Sports Collectors Daily

Sports collecting news - Sports cards and sports memorabilia industry news.

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network and Amazon.com.

  • Sports Memorabilia News
  • Sports Card News
    • Modern Sports Card News
      • New Sports Card Release Calendar
      • Shop Talk
    • Vintage Sports Card News
      • Affordable Vintage Cards, Collectibles
      • Old Baseball Card Sets
      • Old Basketball Card Sets
      • Old Football Card Sets
      • Old Hockey Card Sets
      • Vintage Pack Facts
  • Business/Industry News
    • Sports Memorabilia Business News
    • Sports Memorabilia Industry News
  • Around The Hobby
    • Editor’s Blog
    • David Cycleback’s Identification and Authentication Advice
  • Popular Stories
  • Sell Your Cards
You are here: Home / David Cycleback's Identification and Authentication Advice / Guide to George Burke’s Baseball Photos

Guide to George Burke’s Baseball Photos

December 23, 2022 By David Cycleback

More than 60 years after his death, George Burke remains one of the most famous and collected baseball photographers. Based out of Chicago, Burke shot some of the iconic images of the days’ stars including Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmy Foxx, Dizzy Dean and Joe DiMaggio, was the official photographer for several teams and provided the photos for the Goudey and Play Ball baseball card sets.

Ruth once called Burke his favorite photographer, and he and numerous other stars bought his photographs to fulfill their autograph requests. You will see many Ruth, Jimmy Foxx, Hank Greenberg and other Pre-War star autographs on Burke photos.

A young Joe DiMaggio
A young Joe DiMaggio

Our guide to George Burke’s baseball photos will show the standard types of Burke photos, and how to identify the more valuable vintage versions as versus the many later reprints. You can be happy to know that identifying the old ones made by Burke is as simple.

Chicago Cubs players in the 1930s
Chicago Cubs players in the 1930s

The Original Burke Photos

Burke had a stroke in 1948 and died in 1951. The majority of his photographs on the market are from the 1930s. A smaller portion date from the late 1920s and 1940s.

Most of these period 1920s-40s photos are either about 8×10 inches or postcard sized. The 8×10 photos come in two types: glossy images with round corners and matte finished with square corners. The postcard-sized ones are usually square cornered and matte finished.

Original 1939 Cincinnati Reds team photo.

The 1920s to 1940s photos made by Burke are easy to identify because the images are of highest quality, often crystal clear and sepia toned, and have his rubber stamp on back. The backs will have his name (Geo. Burke) and 847 Belmont Ave. Chicago address stamped in ink. The tops of the back also usually have the player’s name and a cataloging number typed at the top.

Photo back with Belmont Ave stamping and typed caption
Photo back with Belmont Ave stamping and typed caption

I have seen real photo postcards and postcard-sized photos by ‘RDM Studio’ instead of his name but with his 847 Belmont Avenue address. Apparently these were made by Burke.

There are rarer examples of oversized 1930s Burke photos, around 11 x 14 inches, and die cut photos on wooden stands. These also are identified by Burke’s stamp on back.

One of the rare and curious die cut Burke photos on wooden stands.

In the 1930s, Burke also made a small number of 847 Belmont stamped 8×10 photos showing players from earlier eras, including Ty Cobb, Tris Speaker and Walter Johnson. These images are obviously from earlier days (Walter Johnson pitching in his 1910s uniform) and are of lesser image quality. The backs have Burke’s vintage stamp with the Belmont Avenue and typed cataloging. As these are antique reprints, they do have good value on the market.

Babe Ruth autographed 11x14 Burke photo.
Babe Ruth autographed 11×14 Burke photo.

Burke also produced snapshots.  You can find them with his stamp on the back, like this one of Cubs catcher Gabby Hartnett.

Dating Burke’s Old Photos is an Inexact Science

Burke 1920s-40s photos almost never are found with a date stamp, and it is usually impossible to date a photo to a specific year. He likely re-used the same image over a number of years. For example, a Burke photo showing Babe Ruth in 1930 may have been made in 1930, 1933 or 1936.

This lack of specific datability doesn’t hurt the value or collectibility. The 847 Belmont show the photo is old, and that has proven enough to attract collectors. It also demonstrates that photos, even originals, can’t be dated to a specific year.

Dizzy Dean
Dizzy Dean

1930s Burke Photo Stamps

Burke issued small photo stamps found as singles and uncut sheets. These have long been collected by baseball card collectors. The single stamps usually have perforated edges.

Burke real photo stamp with perforated edges
Burke real photo stamp with perforated edges

Later Burke Reprints by His Business Partner

For years after Burke’s stroke then death, his longtime business partner George Brace reprinted Burke’s images of Pre-War players. These photos are easy to identify because they have either a ‘Burke & Brace’ or ‘Brace Photos’ stamp on back with a different from the 847 Belmont Ave address.

The story I’ve heard is the Burke & Brace photos were made by Brace while Burke was alive but after his stroke and when Brace was running the studio. The ‘Brace Photos’ versions were made after Burke’s death. These reprints are typically on bright white paper and without the lush, sepia-tinged tones of original Burkes.

Brace was a prominent photographer himself and owned the rights to Burke’s negatives after his death. The Brace-made Burke reprints are official and collectible, just not worth near the same in value as Burke’s originals. In photography, the vintage original versions made by the photographer himself are always the most desired by collectors.

Another Burke: Francis Burke

There was another early Chicago Burke photographer, a news photographer named Francis Burke. He also did baseball subjects, along with non-sport news subjects. His photos can have his name, or ‘Burke and Dean’ and ‘Burke and Koretke.’ on the photo These photos are also collectible and can have good value. If you get the wrong Burke for a baseball photo, no worries.

——–

You can see George Burke photos on eBay here.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Facebook Messenger

Related Stories:

Uncle Jimmy Collection autographed cardsNew Jersey Man’s 80+ Year Baseball Collection Included Jaw-Dropping 1930s Autographs Historic Baseball Photos Generate Strong Prices in Hunt Auctions Sale Historic Baseball Photography Collection Kicks off Hunt Auctions Sale New Photo-Matching Service Launches Interesting Notes on Vintage Sports Photos Pulaski County Arkansas Circuit CourtReceiver Appointed in Rogers Case Guide to Authenticating Pre-War Baseball Cards Photographer’s Work Joins Other Baseball Memorabilia at Auction

About David Cycleback

David Cycleback is an art and artifacts historian and an internationally known authentication expert. He has authenticated artifacts for major institutions, was a writer for the standard academic reference Encyclopedia of Nineteenth Century Photography, and teaches courses in art authentication. Reprinted by Beijing's Three Shadows Art Center, his guides "Judging the Authenticity of Prints by the Masters" and "Judging the Authenticity of Photographs" were the first comprehensive books on the subjects published in China. He can be reached at [email protected].

Filed Under: David Cycleback's Identification and Authentication Advice, Sports Memorabilia News Tagged With: David Cycleback, George Brace, George Burke, photo authentication, vintage baseball photographs

Primary Sidebar

Our articles may contain affiliate links. When you click on links to merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network. 

Shop Sports Cards on Ebay
  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Baseball
  • Hockey

High End Cards and Memorabilia

  • BBCE Authenticated Boxes, Packs opens in a new window
  • Graded pre-War Card eBay Auctions
  • PWCC Premier Auction
  • PWCC Fixed Price Marketplace
  • Graded Rookie Cards on eBay opens in a new window
  • Authenticated Photos on eBay opens in a new window
  • Graded Tickets & Stubs opens in a new window

Bargain Corner

  • Michael Jordan cards $5 and less opens in a new window
  • Kobe Bryant cards $5 and less opens in a new window
  • Mickey Mantle Cards Under $150 opens in a new window
  • Graded T206 Cards Under $150 opens in a new window
  • Pre-War Cards Under $100 opens in a new window
  • Pre-1980 Graded Baseball Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Pre-1980 Graded Football Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Basketball Cards $25 and less opens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Hockey Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Complete Sets $20 and Less opens in a new window
  • Baseball Hall of Famers for $5 or Less opens in a new window
  • Football Hall of Famers for $5 or Less opens in a new window
  • Hobby Boxes Under $30 opens in a new window
  • Pre-1986 Rookie Cards Under $1 opens in a new window
  • Buy Boxes Directly from Topps opens in a new window

RSS Auction Report

  • Love of the Game Auctions Fall Premier Auction Ends November 25, 2023
  • Icons.com To Launch New Weekly Auctions of Signed Soccer Memorabilia on November 13
  • The Collector Connection November 26, 2023 Non-Sports Card and Comic Books X

Footer

Categories

  • Around the Hobby
  • Business/Industry News
    • Sports Memorabilia Business News
    • Sports Memorabilia Industry News
  • David Cycleback's Identification and Authentication Advice
  • Editor's Blog
  • Featured Articles
  • Hobby Shop Talk
  • National Sports Collectors Convention
  • Popular Stories
  • Rich Klein's Ramblings
  • Sports Card News
    • Modern Sports Card News
      • New Sports Card Release Calendar
    • Vintage Sports Card News
      • Old Baseball Card Sets
      • Old Basketball Card Sets
      • Old Football Card Sets
      • Old Hockey Card Sets
      • Vintage Pack Facts
  • Sports Memorabilia News
  • Uncategorized

Sponsor Links

  • Sports Card Forumopens in a new window
  • Buying Vintage Sports Cardsopens in a new window
  • Championship Rings For Saleopens in a new window
  • Autographed Baseballsopens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Baseball Cardsopens in a new window
  • Sports Collectors Storeopens in a new window

Pages

Ending on eBay Soon
  • Baseball Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Basketball Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Football Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Hockey Card Auctions Ending Soon on eBay
  • Vintage Sports Memorabilia on eBay Ending Soon
Top 100 on Ebay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Baseball Rookie Cards on eBay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Hockey Rookie Card Auctions
  • Top Authenticated Vintage Unopened Sports Card Boxes, Packs on eBay
Most Watched on eBay
  • 100 Most Watched Graded Rookie Cards for Sale on eBay
  • 100 Most Watched Tom Brady Card Auctions on eBay
  • 50 Hottest Hobby Boxes at Auction on eBay
  • 50 Most Watched Golf Trading Cards on eBay
  • 50 Most Watched Wrestling Trading Cards on eBay
  • 75 Most Watched Bowman Chrome Cards
  • Most Popular Bobbleheads on eBay
  • Most Watched 1/1 Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Basketball Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Complete Baseball Card Sets at Auction on eBay
  • Most Watched Football Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Football Rookie Card Auctions
  • Most Watched Goudey Baseball Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Hockey Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Racing Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Soccer Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Most Watched Sports Autographs on eBay
  • Most Watched Sports Jerseys on eBay
  • Most Watched Unopened Sports Card Boxes, Packs on eBay
  • Most Watched Vintage Sports Memorabilia on eBay
  • Hottest Panini National Treasures Cards on eBay
  • Hottest PSA 10 Cards for Sale on eBay
  • What’s Hot on eBay
Sports Memorabilia
  • Sports Card Bargain Bin
  • Sports Memorabilia Auctions Ending Soon on eBay
About Sports Collectors Daily
  • Advertise with SC Daily
  • Contact Us
  • Get Sports Collectors Daily via EMail
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
Sell Your Cards
  • What’s It Worth
  • Where Can I Sell My Baseball Cards?

Copyright © 2023 SportsCollectorsDaily.com | Web Design by Wickam Groupopens in a new window