Invented in the late 1800s, chromolithography was revolutionary for two reasons. First, it could produce vividly colorful graphics popular with the public. Second, unlike other types of printing, it could be printed to many different surfaces, including metal, ceramics, cloth and leather. The following is a brief gallery of the different forms of vintage sports … [Read more...] about The Many Forms of Vintage Sports Lithography
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Essential Tips for Beginning Collectors of Most Anything
While experienced collectors may already know most of the following tips, I get many inquiries from total beginners, including many who have gotten burned by buying fakes and who find my columns via internet searches. Considering this, I think it's a good thing to post my age old “Essential Tips for Beginning Collectors of Most Anything.” I've used this list, and variations … [Read more...] about Essential Tips for Beginning Collectors of Most Anything
‘Photoshopping’ and Other Creative Designs in Early Baseball Photography
One often thinks of photoshopping-style image manipulations and photographic trickery as something of the modern digital age. However, nineteenth and early twentieth photographers produced many wild and imaginative manipulated images that compete with anything made on today's computers. This included collages, composite designs and artistic embellishments. This column is a … [Read more...] about ‘Photoshopping’ and Other Creative Designs in Early Baseball Photography
Groundbreaking Vintage Photos Still Fascinate
This column looks at three rare original sports photographs, two from recent auctions. One is a rare 1940s color photo of Stan Musial, one a gold-backed glass photo of Kenasaw Mountain Landis and the third a ultra high speed 'sctroboscopic' photo of Ohio State All-American Wes Fesler. All three are the only examples I've seen. The above is an original and perhaps … [Read more...] about Groundbreaking Vintage Photos Still Fascinate
Sports Collector’s Guide to Identifying Glass
This column is a beginner's guide to several common kinds of antique glass for sports and non-sports collectors. Glass is labeled and catalogued in different ways, including by its formula or chemical recipe, how the final shape is formed, its style and genre. The following are standard types of glass, defined by the formula, method and genre. Pressed glass. Most glass … [Read more...] about Sports Collector’s Guide to Identifying Glass
Video: Quick Tip for Authenticating Antique Photos
For something new I thought I'd make a serious of short videos offering authenticating tips. This, my first one and clocking in at under two minutes, shows a simple way to identify many black and white photographs as old. This is important if you're at an antique store or estate sale and considering whether to fork over that $500 for a supposedly antique Ty Cobb portrait or … [Read more...] about Video: Quick Tip for Authenticating Antique Photos
Antique Printing Processes Identification Part 3 of 6: Intaglio Prints
This is the third of six installments in identifying standard commercial printing processes used to make antique prints, trading cards, postcards, postage stamps, posters and more. This installment is on the major general category called intaglio. Intaglio Prints Normally pronounced intaylio with a sinent 'g,' intaglio is a major category of prints that includes engravings … [Read more...] about Antique Printing Processes Identification Part 3 of 6: Intaglio Prints