Lot # 31: 1887-1889 N172 Old Judge Charles Boyd Glass-Plate Negative

Original glass-plate negative used in the production of Charles Boyd's 1887 to 1889 N172 Old Judge tobacco card. Glass-plate negatives used in the production of the Old Judge series are scarce, with nearly all of the approximately 100 known examples originating from a single find many years ago. This is just the sixth example we have ever offered (amazingly, we have two examples in this auction), and we have seen fewer than a dozen others at auction in the past 20 years. All the Old Judge images were taken in a studio setting, with many capturing the players in an "action" pose. The offered example pictures Boyd as a member of the Chicago Maroons in a batting pose (#34-3). This is one of three different poses for Burns in the Old Judge set. Burns never appeared in a regular-season game for the Maroons of the Western Association. The negative (5 x 7 inches) is in Excellent condition overall.