1908-1909 Rose Co. Postcards
One hundred years ago, the hobby of baseball card collecting was pretty much non-existent. But the love of the game still created a demand for the occasional consumer product devoted to the players and teams of the day.This set of postcards produced by 'The Rose Company' (whoever they were) sometime between 1908 and 1909 measured 3-1/2"x5-1/2". Each postcard consisted of a black-and-white photo in the center, surrounded by a gold frame, sitting on green field with some baseball-related illustrations along the base. The frame and some other highlights are embossed in gold. A small white panel indicates the player's last name and team. The cards are unnumbered.
The players are taken from the major-league teams of the day, but the set also contains players from the New York State League, indicating that the postcards may have been a regional issue.
Since the set is unnumbered, it is possible that more hitherto-unknown cards in this set may still emerge within the hobby.
Prominent players in this set include Ty Cobb and Honus Wagner.