Old Judge (N172) Ed Delahanty — bat ready, near horizontal
An original Old Judge (N172) photograph card of "Big Ed" Delahanty, bat ready near horizontal — PSA Authentic (Altered). The slab grade reflects later alteration and wear (emulsion loss along the left edge, a crease through the lower third). What still sells the card is image quality: sharp focus on the face and uniform, strong contrast, and a bold, dark, well-defined photographic image. On photographic issues, that kind of image quality outweighs paper loss or a low technical grade.
- Issue
- 1886–90 Old Judge (N172)
- Year
- 1887
- Variation
- Bat/Ready Near Hrzn Al
- Subject
- Ed "Big Ed" Delahanty
- Grade
- Raw (ungraded)
1886–90 Old Judge (N172)
Goodwin & Company's Old Judge cards are the landmark baseball issue of the 19th century: actual sepia photographs pasted onto cardboard and inserted in packs of Old Judge and Gypsy Queen cigarettes. The run began with the New York Giants in 1886, expanded across the National League and American Association, then into the minor leagues, and ended in 1890 when Goodwin merged into the American Tobacco Company. Thousands of player-pose combinations exist, many of them studio shots with the ball hung on a string.
More on this issue →Ed "Big Ed" Delahanty
"Big Ed," the eldest of five brothers who reached the majors, was one of the great hitters of the 19th century: a career average near .346, a four-homer game in 1896, and batting titles in both the National and American Leagues. His life ended in mystery in 1903, when he was put off a train near Niagara Falls and went over the falls; his body was found days later. Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1945. The dark edge of that story is part of why his cards matter here.
More on Ed "Big Ed" Delahanty →