We will start off the description for this truly one-of-a-kind baseball artifact with a brief summation: it is the 1923-1924 Tomas Gutierrez album in which a near set of the 1923-1924 Billiken cards have been mounted by Dihigo who also signed his name in, and wrote throughout, the album. This was done by Dihigo who was still a teenager and at the start of his professional baseball career.

The album is 8.5x10" hardcover w/green fabric covering and string-ties. Contents are on card stock. Contents consist of a nine panel continuous sheet w/original green fabric tape along all fold lines. First panel is text relating to this series of cards that were issued in packs of Diaz cigarettes. This album was available by turning in a complete set of 85 cards (The largest of the 1920s Cuban baseball card issues). The other eight panels have pre-printed images matching the individual cards along with related text of team names and tobacco company information. The back of each panel is blank unlike the individual card backs which have printing (see item #904). The five key players is this album are HOFers John Henry "Pop" Lloyd, Oscar Charleston, Cristobal Torriente, Jose Mendez and Andy Cooper. Other players of note include Alejandro Oms, Oscar "Heavy" Johnson, Armando Marsans, Bill Holland, Eustaquio "Bombin" Pedroso. The cover has all over obvious wear and aging. All gold text is worn off. Staining and fabric splits. Fair. Inside panels have notable splits along the original fabric tape binding along w/added clear tape strips for reinforcement. This mostly just covers the green fabric but in some cases a bit of clear tape is on the panels. However this is just on the margin, no images are affected. The panel fronts w/the player images have aging, few minor ink marks, few creases. All images still remain sharp and bold.

On the front of the first panel w/text and on the back of that panel is much writing in ink. Much of this is in the hand of Dihigo who signs his name multiple times as he was practicing writing in English. On the blank backs of four other panels is additional writing in both pen and pencil. Some of this is also in Dihigo's hand while some is in an unidentified hand. This item comes w/a JSA LOA noting that two of the signatures on the text page are Dihigo's while "The Balance Of The Signatures And Handwriting Are Deemed Inconclusive". However, Dihigo's son Gilberto has verified that some of the other signatures and writing are indeed in his father's hand. As for the panels themselves, overall condition is still Good.

In addition to the writing by Dihigo, he further customized this item by mounting on the blank back panels of the pages a total of 51 of the 60 cards from the 1923-1924 Billiken card set. These are 2x2-5/8" Cuban cards issued as a premium by Billiken brand cigars. As w/the Gutierrez issue this set features players from the 1923-1924 Cuban Professional League. The full set includes 15 cards each for the four teams that participated that season: Almendares, Habana, Marianao and Santa Clara. Glossy fronts feature a bw photo, player's name and team. Cards in this elusive set are among the scarcest and most popular of the pre-war Cuban issues. Missing only nine cards, none are keys: Fabre, Griffin, Morin, Rodriquez, Portuando, D. Brown, Dressen, Fitzsimmons, Perez.

Of the 51 cards mounted in this album, three are among the most desirable and valuable of any Cuban cards: HOFers Pop Lloyd, Oscar Charleston, Cristobal Torriente. Other keys are HOFers Andy Cooper and Jose Mendez in addition to Armando Marsans, Nip Winters, Mack Eggleston, Clint Thomas, Rube Currie, Frank Duncan, Dobie Moore, Alejandro Oms.
Remaining cards are:
Bernardo Baro
Manuel Cueto
Valentin Dreke
Jose Maria Fernandez
Oscar Fuhr
Beinvenido "Hooks" Jimenez (Almendares)
"Snake" Henry
Ramon "Mike" Herrera
Jesse Hubbard
Jakie May
Eufemio Abreu
John Bischoff
Clark
Beinvenido "Hooks"Jimenez (Habana)
Marcelino Guerra
Oscar Levis
Juanelo Mirabal
Raphael "Busta" Quintana
Buster Ross
Edgar Wesley
Merito Acosta
Jose Acostica
E. Brown
Rogelio Crespo
Harry Deberry
Ernie Krueger
Slim Love
Rigal
Hank Schreiber
Pedro Dibut
Eddie Douglass
Oliver Marcelle
Mayari (Esteban Montalvo)
Augustin "Tinti" Molina
Herman Rios
Julio Rojo
Red Ryan
Frank Warfield

As mounted, many have trim to some or all of the blank borders. Scattered aging and wear. Cards are offered "As Is", all contents are shown online including details of the key cards. Further information or photos available upon request.

While this item shows overall wear and aging it is unique. Obtaining this many Billiken cards at once, in any condition, is rare in and of itself. The fact that this is a HOF member's personal baseball card collection w/signatures and writing in his hand make it an amazing baseball item of the highest magnitude.
Comes w/COA signed by Martin's son Gilberto Dihigo.