1946-1947 "SPORTING KINGS" NEAR COMPLETE CUBAN CARD ALBUM W/RUTH, COBB, DIHIGO AND MORE.
Item Description
8.75x11.5” album issued by Cuban caramel company. Title reads “Propagandas Montiel Presenta Los Reyes Del Deporte” with key words basically translating as "Sporting Kings/Famous Athletes." Great multi-sport illustrated front cover with emphasis on baseball and boxing (also the emphasis of the content). Back cover includes illustration of “The Great Stadium Of Havana.” 32 pages. Designed to hold set of 180 paper picture cards. Pages include additional sports-related illustrations around card mounting areas along with that athlete’s name and short bio. Mounted in the album at appropriate spots are 179 of 180 cards, just missing #90 Oswald Bluege. The first several pages feature boxers including: Sullivan, Corbett, Jeffries, Jack Johnson, Dempsey, Schmeling, Joe Louis, among others. Next are Cuban League stars including Martin Dihigo, Adolfo Luque, Silvio Garcia, Alejandro Crespo, Armando Marsans. Next is the highlight of the album, an extensive selection of Major League Baseball players which includes Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Ted Williams, Bob Feller, Lou Gehrig, Hank Greenberg, Stan Musial (Rookie card that predates his 1948 Bowman), Mel Ott, Jimmie Foxx, Andy Pafko, Carl Hubbell, Joe Dimaggio, Christie Mathewson, John Mize and many more. Other baseball players include those from the Florida International League. A few additional cards feature wrestlers, tennis player. As a bonus, album comes w/one loose card, the #56 error card picturing Gabby Hartnett. The correct #56 card of Bill Dickey is mounted in the album. The album has all over obvious wear/aging including pages loose from staples/cover, margin tears, scattered staining and back cover has some tears. The cards also have some scattered staining throughout but are all neatly mounted and overall display nicely as such. While far from a high grade example, it is still a near complete album of a rarely seen Cuban issue. Overall album is Fair to Good and cards are largely VG or so as mounted. From the Richard Merkin Collection and comes with Hake's COA.