Lot # 2895: 1888 Heyn Studio Cabinet James Conway Kansas City (Western Association) SGC FAIR 1.5 - N173 Old Judge Proof

N173 Goodwin Old Judge cabinet proof of Kansas City pitcher James Conway. Produced by the Heyn photographic studio of Omaha, Nebraska, the card features the printed notation "Copyright 1888, Goodwin & Co." in the lower-right quadrant of the photo. As part of the production process for the N172 set, Goodwin & Co. would contract with various photographers to obtain original images from staged photo shoots done in their studios. The "proof" cabinets produced by these studios, such as Heyn, were provided not only to Goodwin and other companies for their commercial use but were also often given to players, family, or made available to the public as a means of advertising for the respective studio. In the offered cabinet photo, which has exceptional clarity, Conway is depicted leaning on his bat (Pose #91-2). A very elaborate advertisement for the Heyn studio appears on the reverse. Conway played only three years in the Major Leagues (1884, 1885, and 1889). He was also a teammate of Hall of Famer "Sliding" Billy Hamilton. The copyright date on the photograph of the card is "1888" but 1889 was Conway's only year with the Kansas City Cowboys (his last year in the Major Leagues), suggesting that Conway was almost on the team (but did not play for some reason) in 1888 or that this card was actually issued in 1889. The cabinet card (4.25 x 6.5 inches) displays moderate corner wear and very light foxing along the base of the mount. Graded FAIR 20 by SGC due to a few ink marks near the lower-left corner. This would be a significant and worthy addition to even the most advanced nineteenth-century baseball collection.