Lot # 79: 1888 N173 Old Judge Cabinet Dick Conway - Rare Black Mount!

Presented is an 1888 N173 Goodwin Old Judge cabinet card of Dick Conway (#89-5 pose) of the Boston Beaneaters, posed in front of a simple studio backdrop. All N173 Old Judge cabinets are rare, but this is a particularly noteworthy example in that it has an extremely rare black mount. According to The Photographic Baseball Cards of Goodwin & Company (1886-1890), the definitive book on Old Judges by Jay Miller, Joe Gonsowski, and Richard Masson, "The vast majority of cabinet mounts are yellow in color. However, cabinets have also been found with brown, black, pink, and (in a few rare cases) red mounts." This is only the eighth black mount N173 that we have offered in the past two decades! The offered card is a tremendous rarity and of great note to Old Judge scholars and collectors. Though condition is a secondary concern given the importance of the mount color, the cabinet has a crease in the lower-right corner, a small spot of paper residue near the upper-left corner, and even corner wear. The photo contrast is outstanding and full of detail. In Very Good condition overall. This is an extremely attractive, exceedingly rare N173 black-mount example, and an ideal example of this significant 19th century rarity.