Wait, is that a vintage Babe Ruth unicorn? c1930 Jean Donat DuPont Indiana Sport Avion Babe Ruth

1951WheatiesPremium · February 27, 2021 11:07AM

Well, here’s a new rare card that just got the PSA treatment and is now home. It is actually a pretty awesome card, the more I continue to learn about it.

Distributed in France, this 136 card (maybe?) set was issued out of the city of Lille. The set that came before was full of Cowboys and Indians and horses - hence the Indiana. Avion is the French word for planes and there’s also several cards with the image of these new flying machines that were starting to line the skies. And that brings us to sport which means, well, sport. There’s several different sports covered but three American sport cards made their way into the set. One depicts a pitcher, one depicts an “American Rugby” game (since football is soccer in Europe) between the Packers and Cardinals and one depicts a baseball game that took place a year or two earlier that was a pretty significant time in the history of baseball.

In 1934, the American MLB All Star team played 18 games with other stars Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Charlie Gehringer and Earl Averill playing alongside the still reigning king of the sport, Babe Ruth. While researching the tour, I found out that no National League players played on this team as owners of those teams would not grant their players permission to play. So, in what could then probably be considered his last games as a Yankee over November and December in cities across Japan, Babe Ruth was showcased to the Japanese people who had heard legends, seen photos and perhaps even had the good fortune to have seen him on the islands of Japan once before. An estimated 65,000 showed up in Tokyo, one of the 18 games played on the tour which would change the trajectory of baseball across the globe. As for the Sultan of Swat, he did more than just show up and swing the bat: he cemented his legacy for all time. In what could probably described as the last swath of greatness in a career that is still talked about one hundred years later, Babe Ruth turned back the clock and did the amazing one last time for all the world to see...

George Herman Ruth hit 13 HR in the 18 exhibition games played.

The Japanese team they played against, despite going 0-18 against this remarkable and historic American club, achieved national renown of their own, basically became the National team of Japan and then, later, the first professional team in Japan, the Yomiyuri (Tokyo) Giants which lead to a professional league being created soon after. Tangentally, it is also believed this tour began the spy career of ball player and star catcher Moe Berg who brought along a camera and snapped many shots of various Japanese installations.

So to recap, French card of a Japanese ball game depicting Babe Ruth?

Surely, this card cements the fact that Babe Ruth while still an active player was not just popular in the US and Japan but was a global icon of sport on word of mouth and newsprint alone.

As for the card itself, it is just the second copy ever encased in a PSA slab and it is now the single highest graded example on their Population Report. It is my absolute pleasure to present to you, the good people of CU, one of the last cards as a Yankee of perhaps the single greatest baseball player to ever play the American Pastime.

Thanks for checking out the thread; enjoy the weekend.

Stone193 · February 27, 2021 11:22AM

As for the card itself, it is just the second copy ever encased in a PSA slab and it is now the single highest graded example on their Population Report. It is my absolute pleasure to present to you, the good people of CU, one of the last cards as a Yankee of perhaps the single greatest baseball player to ever play the American Pastime.

Thanx for sharing Tim.

I know a lot of time goes into writing and researching this buddy.

Have never seen the care before.

I don't read French but I don't see Ruth's name on the back; definitely looks like him.

1951WheatiesPremium · February 27, 2021 11:30AM

@Stone193 said:

As for the card itself, it is just the second copy ever encased in a PSA slab and it is now the single highest graded example on their Population Report. It is my absolute pleasure to present to you, the good people of CU, one of the last cards as a Yankee of perhaps the single greatest baseball player to ever play the American Pastime.

Thanx for sharing Tim.

I know a lot of time goes into writing and researching this buddy.

Have never seen the care before.

I don't read French but I don't see Ruth's name on the back; definitely looks like him.

Mike,

You’re the best; thanks for the kind words. Here’s a cool shot of Ruth in that uniform, with Jimmie Foxx and Lou Gehrig:

Note that PSA has the name on the flip, at least. 😉

Best,

Tim

Pop Report Change

JoeBanzai · February 27, 2021 11:59AM

Glad you were able to get your card recognized.

Here's a Killebrew that was refused for no good reason.

1951WheatiesPremium · February 27, 2021 1:30PM

@JoeBanzai

Thank you but it took no work; I tracked down a scan of the only other PSA one; this guy’s owner must have already blazed the trail...

1951WheatiesPremium · February 27, 2021 3:11PM

@Stone193

These are when raw; a little clearer and easier to zoom:

Ahmanfan · February 27, 2021 5:25PM

Amazing piece. How did you come across it?

1951WheatiesPremium · February 27, 2021 5:30PM

@Ahmanfan said:
Amazing piece. How did you come across it?

eBay...wish I had something better for you.

blurryface · February 27, 2021 5:32PM

nope. i've actually seen a couple unicorns! 😉

amazing & historical piece!

can i borrow it?

stevek · February 27, 2021 5:34PM

The back says:

baseball knows the same vogue across the Atlantic as football in France

in this photo, you see three great american champions who on the move to tikio had played in front of an audience estimated at 65,000 people.

stevek · February 27, 2021 5:41PM

https://baseballhall.org/discover-more/stories/baseball-history/1934-japan-tour-footage-uncovered

1951WheatiesPremium · February 27, 2021 5:42PM

@stevek - just cleaned it up a little but you’ve pretty much got it all there:

Baseball is thought of across the Atlantic the same way as soccer in France.

In this photo, you see three great American champions who, abroad in Tokyo, had played in front of an audience estimated at 65,000 people.

1951WheatiesPremium · February 27, 2021 5:43PM

Obviously, the guy who wrote the caption didn’t fully understand the game: it’s a Japanese catcher, an umpire and the Great Bambino.

So one American champion would certainly have been more accurate.

stevek · February 27, 2021 5:54PM

@1951WheatiesPremium said:
@stevek - just cleaned it up a little but you’ve pretty much got it all there:

Baseball is thought of across the Atlantic the same way as soccer in France.

In this photo, you see three great American champions who, abroad in Tokyo, had played in front of an audience estimated at 65,000 people.

<<< In this photo, you see three great American champions >>>

My guess is the Frenchman who wrote the description for the card, didn't know much about American baseball, basically calling the umpire a great American champion.

He must have thought that funny looking uniform was for some sort of special player. LOL

I always thought the Japanese interest in baseball occurred because of the American occupation after the war. But evidently, baseball was quite popular in Japan before then, drawing 65,000 like that.

In any event, very cool card.

stevek · February 27, 2021 5:58PM

@1951WheatiesPremium said:
Obviously, the guy who wrote the caption didn’t fully understand the game: it’s a Japanese catcher, an umpire and the Great Bambino.

So one American champion would certainly have been more accurate.

I hate that when somebody beats me to the idea. 😒

😉

1951WheatiesPremium · February 27, 2021 6:00PM

@blurryface
@stevek
@Ahmanfan

Thanks, guys! Means more than you know...

blurryface · February 27, 2021 6:00PM

guess i do collect digital cards now! 😉

stevek · February 27, 2021 6:03PM

@blurryface said:
guess i do collect digital cards now! 😉

This one has been added to my digital collection.

Digitally, my digital card collection is worth a digital fortune. LOL

Ahmanfan · February 27, 2021 7:25PM

@1951WheatiesPremium said:

@Ahmanfan said:
Amazing piece. How did you come across it?

eBay...wish I had something better for you.

Wow. Was the listing lacking in keywords, etc? Heck of a find.

1951WheatiesPremium · February 28, 2021 2:34AM

@Ahmanfan said:

@1951WheatiesPremium said:

@Ahmanfan said:
Amazing piece. How did you come across it?

eBay...wish I had something better for you.

Wow. Was the listing lacking in keywords, etc? Heck of a find.

Thanks - it was listed correctly. I just don’t think a ton of people are aware of the card’s existence.

1951WheatiesPremium · February 28, 2021 2:49AM

I am working with a contact in France. Some running information:

Got his address in Lille. His tag line was: It’s a Donat product. Another word that pops up is Malabar. Not sure what that means.

The official phrase for cards is: vignettes chewing-gum français. The French love to mix different languages with there own; you will see a lot of -ing in French.

If I am reading correctly the card was visible in the wrapping. It seems that it was registered in court. Maybe something like a trademark.

So here is what I am reading
1800s Maison Thomas is built. It is a confectionery store.
1913- Donat products arise and are in Maison Thomas
1968-Donat makes a comeback?
Late 1960s- There is a big merger and the new name is Outsider
1974- the entire factory burns down

At the Malabar site , It gets a little interesting. They mention the WRIGLEY family. Like the chewing gum. They were French.
Thé Malabar site doesn’t mention Donat and has very little on the 1930s.

Malabar is the chewing gum. So I am a little confused. Donat is a confectionary maker or just the cards? Now I am thinking that was his only link to Maison Thomas and Malabar-the cards. The American sites say Donat made the chewing gum. Maybe Malabar came later?

There are a fair amount of sales of Donat products in EUROPE.

Ok a little more. Trademarked in 1913 under some other names that don’t seem to make sense.

The only other information I have is that in 1932 it appears he was trying to do something to get sewers to remove water from his building in Lille.

Links:
http://www.mr-malabar.fr/confiserie-donat.html

http://www.mr-malabar.fr/

https://archives.lille.fr/medias/customer_197/Fonds Moderne/D/1D2/1D2_131/FRAM059350_1D2_131_19320703.pdf

1951WheatiesPremium · February 28, 2021 6:20AM

Further reading...

https://www.sportscollectorsdaily.com/mysterious-indiana-sport-avion-set-includes-babe-ruth-and-american-football/

https://prewarcards.com/2016/09/08/1935-indiana-sport-avion-set-and-checklist-babe-ruth-joe-louis/

https://www.oldcardboard.com/foreign/france/indiana-sport-avion/indiana-sport-avion.asp?cardsetID=1565

stevek · February 28, 2021 7:33AM

As i was reading the info about the set, It just occurred to me the possible reason for this set in 1936.

That was the year of the famous 1936 Olympics in Germany with Hitler, Jesse Owens, etc, and perhaps the company thought it was a good marketing idea to put together such a set around the same time.

stevek · February 28, 2021 7:37AM

I dunno why it took me this long to think of it, but it also just occurred to me that it was clever of them to use that card number of 60.

I'd be sure it was no coincidence with the number 60 being Ruth's HR record.

1948_Swell_Robinson · February 28, 2021 9:54AM

Oh wow! That is off the charts! Congratulations, and I enjoyed the write up about it.

1951WheatiesPremium · February 28, 2021 1:36PM

Maybe I should have mentioned this but the set is called that because it’s in French:

Indiana - refers to Cowboys, Indians* and horses of which there are a bunch of images in the prior set.

Sport - French means the same, refers to several sport cards - cycling baseball and football

Avion - translates as Planes, also a bunch pictured in the set.

The set prior was just called Indiana Sport.

*Native Americans, of course, but in 1935-36? I could give a history lesson on the topic but suffice it to say the global obsession with the American Cowboy is based on the gritty and romantic nature of that way of life and the ‘cowboys and Indians’ term is not meant to be insensitive but rather provide context for understanding the term _Indiana_.

bswhiten · February 28, 2021 2:38PM

Cool rare find Tim and great written explanation of the card and backstory. I feel like I just had my baseball history lesson for the year Keeps up the good work! Have fun tracking down the obscure and rare.

1951WheatiesPremium · March 1, 2021 6:57AM

@bswhiten said:
Cool rare find Tim and great written explanation of the card and backstory. I feel like I just had my baseball history lesson for the year Keeps up the good work! Have fun tracking down the obscure and rare.

Thanks, Ben!

High praise coming from you.

miwlvrn · March 1, 2021 7:56AM

This is another foreign Ruth one that I had been looking for for several years unsuccessfully, but it is out of my price range now. They don't turn up often, so thought I'd post this one in case the people interested in this thread are also curious to see a Tabacalera Ruth.

https://ebay.com/itm/1928-Tabacalera-La-Morena-Babe-Ruth-98-SCG-4-5-Rare-VG-EX-plus/254867783063?hash=item3b574dbd97:g:amgAAOSwJ1ZgKVZn

(this is not my card; I just wish it were)

1951WheatiesPremium · March 1, 2021 8:24AM

@miwlvrn said:
This is another foreign Ruth one that I had been looking for for several years unsuccessfully, but it is out of my price range now. They don't turn up often, so thought I'd post this one in case the people interested in this thread are also curious to see a Tabacalera Ruth.

https://ebay.com/itm/1928-Tabacalera-La-Morena-Babe-Ruth-98-SCG-4-5-Rare-VG-EX-plus/254867783063?hash=item3b574dbd97:g:amgAAOSwJ1ZgKVZn

(this is not my card; I just wish it were)

If you can think of any other rare Ruth cards for that much, would you please continue to post them in this thread?

(Seriously. I will pay you.)

miwlvrn · March 1, 2021 8:53AM

@1951WheatiesPremium said:

@miwlvrn said:
This is another foreign Ruth one that I had been looking for for several years unsuccessfully, but it is out of my price range now. They don't turn up often, so thought I'd post this one in case the people interested in this thread are also curious to see a Tabacalera Ruth.

https://ebay.com/itm/1928-Tabacalera-La-Morena-Babe-Ruth-98-SCG-4-5-Rare-VG-EX-plus/254867783063?hash=item3b574dbd97:g:amgAAOSwJ1ZgKVZn

(this is not my card; I just wish it were)

If you can think of any other rare Ruth cards for that much, would you please continue to post them in this thread?

(Seriously. I will pay you.)

OK, how about these:

https://ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2060353.m570.l1313&_nkw=ruth+%28bromide%2C+king+magazine%29&_sacat=0

https://ebay.com/itm/Babe-Ruth-1928-Type-1-Original-Photo-PSA-DNA-AUTO-1934-Takashimaya-Card-Image/402226271548?hash=item5da68dd53c:g:dSwAAOSwzLNelrTd

1951WheatiesPremium · March 1, 2021 1:18PM

Well if anyone is interested, I could probably let this card go for...

😂😂😂

(This statement is not reflective of value, it does not constitute an offer to sell nor is it a solicitation of an offer to buy. It was just intended to be funny, people.)

1951WheatiesPremium · March 1, 2021 1:48PM

@stevek said:

@1951WheatiesPremium said:
@stevek - just cleaned it up a little but you’ve pretty much got it all there:

Baseball is thought of across the Atlantic the same way as soccer in France.

In this photo, you see three great American champions who, abroad in Tokyo, had played in front of an audience estimated at 65,000 people.

<<< In this photo, you see three great American champions >>>

My guess is the Frenchman who wrote the description for the card, didn't know much about American baseball, basically calling the umpire a great American champion.

He must have thought that funny looking uniform was for some sort of special player. LOL

I always thought the Japanese interest in baseball occurred because of the American occupation after the war. But evidently, baseball was quite popular in Japan before then, drawing 65,000 like that.

In any event, very cool card.

Baseball was introduced in 1872. It proved to be popular at various levels for various time periods. Professional baseball in Japan first started in the 1920s, but it was not until the Greater Japan Tokyo Baseball Club, a team of all-stars established in 1934 by media mogul Matsutarō Shōriki, that the modern professional game found continued success—especially after Shōriki's club matched up against an American All-Star team that included Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx, Lou Gehrig, and Charlie Gehringer. While prior Japanese all-star contingents had disbanded, Shōriki went pro with this group, playing in an independent league.

The first Japanese professional league was formed in 1936, and by 1950 had grown big enough to divide into two leagues, the Central League and the Pacific League, together known as Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). It is called Puro Yakyū (プロ野球), meaning professional baseball. The pro baseball season is eight months long, with games beginning in April. Teams play 144 games (as compared to the 162 games of the American major league teams), followed by a playoff system, culminating in a championship held in October, known as the Japan Series.

Corporations with interests outside baseball own most of the teams. Historically, teams have been identified with their owners, not where the team is based. However, in recent years, many owners have chosen to include a place name in the names of their teams; the majority of the 12 Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) teams are currently named with both corporate and geographical place names.

1951WheatiesPremium · March 3, 2021 3:02AM

The 1934 Tour of Japan included a most impressive roster of major baseball talent:

Connie Mack, Manager
Babe Ruth
Jimmy Foxx
Lou Gehrig
Lefty Gomez
Charlie Gehringer
Earl Averill
Bing Miller
Moe Berg
Earl Whitehill
Frank Hayes
Rabbit McNair
Hal Warstler
Joe Cascarella
Clint Brown
Lefty O'Doul, Coach

1951WheatiesPremium · March 3, 2021 3:06AM

1934 Japanese All Stars

1951WheatiesPremium · March 4, 2021 4:49PM

A nice deep dive on the tour...

http://www.attheplate.com/wcbl/1934_japan_tour.html

1951WheatiesPremium · March 5, 2021 2:19AM

The 18 Final Scores

ringer · March 5, 2021 3:31PM

What a terrific card in history. Thanks for sharing. Baseball came to Japan in the 1870s. It was well-established as a popular sport by the 1930s. American influence post war only added to the fervor

1951WheatiesPremium · March 6, 2021 9:58AM

@ringer said:
What a terrific card in history. Thanks for sharing. Baseball came to Japan in the 1870s. It was well-established as a popular sport by the 1930s. American influence post war only added to the fervor

Thank you very much.

Are you in Japan now?

1951WheatiesPremium · March 7, 2021 5:33PM

Just thought this was cool - a published version of the card image...

ReggieCleveland · March 8, 2021 9:47AM

Just seeing this. I have to laugh at all the articles. No one ever attempted to contact me. I'm the one that first discovered the Ruth card and I probably own more IS and IS-Avion cards than anyone. I donated the first Ruth to a charity auction and the winner had the card slabbed by SGC (PSA wasn't slabbing them then). I believe he still owns it.

A few notes:

The Indiana part of the name has nothing to do with cowboys, Indians, or the American state of Indiana. Donat/Dupont was a major trading card manufacturer in France throughout the 1930s with an array of subjects produced. Yes, they produced an American West-style set of cards but that was just one of many sets that they made.

Indiana Sport and Indiana Sport-Avion were both produced in 1936. Both sets depict sporting events that occurred in 1935, be they boxing matches, Tour de France, the baseball tour, the Packers/Cardinals game, Darrell Blanton winning the Cy Young, you name it. Indiana Sport is known to contain at least two different color tones for the cards in the set -- sepia and blue. I haven't seen a blue tone for an Indiana Sport-Avion but that's not to say they don't exist.

As the thread above shows, I've made great advances identifying some players in the football cards. If anyone has ANY info on the hockey card I would be EXTREMELY grateful. I've come up with nothing after hours of digging (but I'm also not a hockey guy and I know you hockey guys really know your hockey stuff).

Arthur

1951WheatiesPremium · March 8, 2021 12:45PM

@ReggieCleveland said:
Just seeing this. I have to laugh at all the articles. No one ever attempted to contact me. I'm the one that first discovered the Ruth card and I probably own more IS and IS-Avion cards than anyone. I donated the first Ruth to a charity auction and the winner had the card slabbed by SGC (PSA wasn't slabbing them then). I believe he still owns it.

Arthur,

This is all new to me and I JUST found out Saturday (where were you?) your connection to the SGC copy. I actually was going to reach out to you this week privately.

Anyhow, I would love to trade some more info as nearly everything in the thread was stuff I came across researching it. As you know, Inlove these obscure Yankees cards as much as anyone.

I consider you one of the most knowledgeable people in cards, Arthur, and say so privately and publicly quite often; most of my pre-war and modern pickups have been based on your knowledge/recommendation/threads on the topic or card in question.

I hope you are well.

All the best,

Tim

1951WheatiesPremium · March 9, 2021 5:06AM

@ReggieCleveland said:
Just seeing this. I have to laugh at all the articles. No one ever attempted to contact me. I'm the one that first discovered the Ruth card and I probably own more IS and IS-Avion cards than anyone. I donated the first Ruth to a charity auction and the winner had the card slabbed by SGC (PSA wasn't slabbing them then). I believe he still owns it.

A few notes:

The Indiana part of the name has nothing to do with cowboys, Indians, or the American state of Indiana. Donat/Dupont was a major trading card manufacturer in France throughout the 1930s with an array of subjects produced. Yes, they produced an American West-style set of cards but that was just one of many sets that they made.

Indiana Sport and Indiana Sport-Avion were both produced in 1936. Both sets depict sporting events that occurred in 1935, be they boxing matches, Tour de France, the baseball tour, the Packers/Cardinals game, Darrell Blanton winning the Cy Young, you name it. Indiana Sport is known to contain at least two different color tones for the cards in the set -- sepia and blue. I haven't seen a blue tone for an Indiana Sport-Avion but that's not to say they don't exist.

As the thread above shows, I've made great advances identifying some players in the football cards. If anyone has ANY info on the hockey card I would be EXTREMELY grateful. I've come up with nothing after hours of digging (but I'm also not a hockey guy and I know you hockey guys really know your hockey stuff).

Arthur

Also, re: hockey card...

Belle Jardinier on the awning translates literally as “beautiful gardener” but the phrase itself often refers to St. John the Baptist.

Some of the other text is hard to read but if you make out the words/letters maybe we can hone in on location for the hockey game.

1951WheatiesPremium · March 9, 2021 5:49AM

@ReggieCleveland

Looks like possibly Ontario for the games location?

That second sign looks like it reads:

“CHAIRE BROMPTON”

...which is a style of chair but also a google search of the French name produced a store in Ontario.

Last one looks like “DUBON” but haven’t found a connection.

miwlvrn · March 9, 2021 6:02AM

@1951WheatiesPremium said:
@ReggieCleveland

Looks like possibly Ontario for the games location?

That second sign looks like it reads:

“CHAIRE BROMPTON”

...which is a style of chair but also a google search of the French name produced a store in Ontario.

Last one looks like “DUBON” but haven’t found a connection.

Good thoughts there. Here is what I'm thinking on this: Brampton is of course in Ontario, not Quebec. Ontario did not require signage to include French (bilingual) until 1969. You could consider contacting someone from Brampton's historical society to see if they have any info relating to the sign, but I think it is more likley that Brampton is the style of chair rather than a store location. I'm going to guess that it is much more probable that this hockey photo is from France rather than Quebec, especially based on the issuance of the set that it's from.

1951WheatiesPremium · March 9, 2021 6:33AM

@miwlvrn

Also, re: hockey card...

Belle Jardinier on the awning translates literally as “beautiful gardener” but the phrase itself often refers to St. John the Baptist.

Some of the other text is hard to read but if you make out the words/letters maybe we can hone in on location for the hockey game.

(Posted once before but eaten when I edited for spelling 🤪)

1951WheatiesPremium · March 9, 2021 6:39AM

Yes, Brampton, not BROMPTON!

I’m struggling today!!!!

Just remember, as @ReggieCleveland discovered some good info about the football card (“American Rugby”) being from North America, why not some good Canadian Hockey?

What does the back say, Arthur?

1951WheatiesPremium · March 9, 2021 6:43AM

@miwlvrn said:

@1951WheatiesPremium said:
@ReggieCleveland

Looks like possibly Ontario for the games location?

That second sign looks like it reads:

“CHAIRE BROMPTON”

...which is a style of chair but also a google search of the French name produced a store in Ontario.

Last one looks like “DUBON” but haven’t found a connection.

Good thoughts there. Here is what I'm thinking on this: Brampton is of course in Ontario, not Quebec. Ontario did not require signage to include French (bilingual) until 1969. You could consider contacting someone from Brampton's historical society to see if they have any info relating to the sign, but I think it is more likley that Brampton is the style of chair rather than a store location. I'm going to guess that it is much more probable that this hockey photo is from France rather than Quebec, especially based on the issuance of the set that it's from.

Do you know if John the Baptist or Dubon has any connection to hockey in Ontario?

I do not think a style of chair would be advertised on a billboard at a game and it seems many of these cards are based on an actual photo of the event depicted.

Thoughts?

miwlvrn · March 9, 2021 7:07AM

@1951WheatiesPremium said:

@miwlvrn said:

@1951WheatiesPremium said:
@ReggieCleveland

Looks like possibly Ontario for the games location?

That second sign looks like it reads:

“CHAIRE BROMPTON”

...which is a style of chair but also a google search of the French name produced a store in Ontario.

Last one looks like “DUBON” but haven’t found a connection.

Good thoughts there. Here is what I'm thinking on this: Brampton is of course in Ontario, not Quebec. Ontario did not require signage to include French (bilingual) until 1969. You could consider contacting someone from Brampton's historical society to see if they have any info relating to the sign, but I think it is more likley that Brampton is the style of chair rather than a store location. I'm going to guess that it is much more probable that this hockey photo is from France rather than Quebec, especially based on the issuance of the set that it's from.

Do you know if John the Baptist or Dubon has any connection to hockey in Ontario?

I do not think a style of chair would be advertised on a billboard at a game and it seems many of these cards are based on an actual photo of the event depicted.

Thoughts?

I think that if this were in Canada, it would make more sense that maybe a Brampton store had a branch location in Quebec, as opposed to having signs in French that were in an Ontario arena.

ReggieCleveland · March 9, 2021 9:00AM

Thanks, guys. I hadn't focused much on the signage as it appeared to be advertisements but you guys seem to be making headway. I tried to match up the uniforms to 1935 hockey teams but that proved harder than it is to do for football. I also tried to photo match the outdoor stadium (although I imagine most, if not all, hockey stadiums were outdoors back then.

Knowing now that the writing is French I think it undoubtedly took place in Canada. All of the cards from the set are sort "elite representations" of that particular sport and they had no problem going global. Keep in mind, France was sending correspondents over here as early as the 1890s to cover baseball and college football so there has always been a global sense of sport in France.

Arthur

miwlvrn · March 9, 2021 9:01AM

@ReggieCleveland said:
Thanks, guys. I hadn't focused much on the signage as it appeared to be advertisements but you guys seem to be making headway. I tried to match up the uniforms to 1935 hockey teams but that proved harder than it is to do for football. I also tried to photo match the outdoor stadium (although I imagine most, if not all, hockey stadiums were outdoors back then.

Knowing now that the writing is French I think it undoubtedly took place in Canada. All of the cards from the set are sort "elite representations" of that particular sport and they had no problem going global. Keep in mind, France was sending correspondents over here as early as the 1890s to cover baseball and college football so there has always been a global sense of sport in France.

Arthur

Thanks Arthur. Then I am still voting likelihood is Quebec, not Brampton Ontario.

I do enjoy the rabbit hole puzzles of foreign oddball item identification.

Wait, is that a vintage Babe Ruth unicorn? c1930 Jean Donat DuPont Indiana Sport Avion Babe Ruth

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