ALBERTYPE  -  INTRODUCTION

I'd like to present a brief guide of the B&W Baseball Hall of Fame Postcards that were sold at the Baseball Museum in Cooperstown from the early 1940's through the early 1960's.  This particular guide will focus on Albertype postcards depicting both player/manager/executive/umpire plaque postcards and the non-plaque postcards (such as Baseball Museum interior and exterior photos etc.)  Artvue B&W postcards - which are very similar - are covered in a seperate guide on e-bay.  If this guide proves helpful to you, please indicate so below - it's my only reward for presenting this material to you.

I will try to be as factual as possible, however there are some areas of speculation - which I will try to identify as such.  If you have any additional information, or notice an error, please let me know using the e-bay message feature.  I would like to thank the following folks for their help over the years in compiling some of this information:  B. Gould, P. Henrici,  J. Maher, J. Newman and D. Yaw.

THE BASICS - ALBERTYPE - TYPE 1 & TYPE 2

Albertype B&W HOF postcards replaced the rare Sepia-toned Baseball HOF Postcards which were also produced by Albertype.  The difference between the two variations of Albertype B&W Postcards involve the text on the bottom front of the plaque postcards.  The first (Type 1), were produced from 1944 through 1945 and the bottom line of text reads "Cooperstown, N.Y." (where the State of New York is abbreviated).  (see pictures below for comparison).  Type 2 Albertype plaque postcards were produced from 1945 through 1952 and the text on the bottom of the front reads "Cooperstown, New York".

NOTE: I apologize for the partial photos - but the necessary detail will be lost if I show the entire postcards
  Type 1 Albertype "N.Y." (top picture);  Type 2 Albertype "New York" (bottom)

  The reverse side of the Albertype postcard is the same for Type 1 and Type 2

THE PLAQUE CHECKLISTS

The Sports Collectors Digest Catalog lists 38 Different Plaques for Albertype Type 1 and  62 Plaques for Albertype Type 2. 

Albertype Type 1 Plaque Checklist:
Alexander, Anson, Bresnahan, Brouthers, Bulkeley, Cartwright, Chadwick, Clarke, Cobb, Collins, E., Collins, J., Comiskey, Cummings, Delahanty, Duffy, Ewing, Gehrig, Hornsby, Jennings, Johnson, B., Johnson, W.,Keeler, Kelly, Lajoie, Landis, Mack, Mathewson, McGraw, O'Rourke, Radbourn, Robinson, W., Ruth, Sisler, Spalding, Speaker, Wagner, Wright, G., and Young

Albertype Type 2 Plaque Checklist: (All Type 1 Plaques plus...)
Brown, Burkett, Chance, Chesbro, Cochrane, Evers, Foxx, Frisch, Gehringer, Griffith, Grove, Heilmann, Hubbell, McCarthy T., McGinnity, Nichols, Ott, Pennock, Plank, Tinker, Traynor, Waddell, Walsh, and Waner, P.

Additional Variations?
There is one suspected but unconfirmed variation within the Type 1 Albertype Plaques.  Above the Cooperstown, N.Y text there are two possible texts:  "NATIONAL BASEBALL MUSEUM AND HALL OF FAME" and "NATIONAL BASEBALL HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM".  Most Type 1's in my collection have the first tag, however I have many that have the latter.  I don't own any player with both variations, but I have seen Connie Mack Type 1 postcards with either text.  I suspect that many early inductee's Type 1 postcards were issued with both texts.  Please let me know if you have any additional information.

All Albertype Type 2 Plaques have the text "NATIONAL BASEBALL HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM" as far as I have been able to ascertain.

THE NON-PLAQUE POSTCARDS

In addition to the Hall of Fame plaque postcards, Albertype made available other related HOF B&W Postcards for sale in the Museum's Gift Shop.   Please send me any additions/corrections you have so I can update this checklist.  Many - if not all - of the non-plaque postcards have both the Type 1 (N.Y), Type 2 (New York) variation on the back text of the postcard. (see picture below)

  This is the back of two Baseball in 1866 - Currier & Ives Postcards.  Notice (barely) the second line of text in each postcard - Cooperstown, N.Y. (top) and Cooperstown, New York (bottom).

THE NON-PLAQUE CHECKLIST

Museum Exterior
Museum Exterior - Alternate
Architect's Drawing of National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
Museum Interior - First Floor (with Mathewson bust in background)
Museum Interior - First Floor (with Doubleday portrait in background)
Museum Interior - Portrait of Major General Abner Doubleday over Mantel, Inventor of the National Game
Museum Interior - Second Floor - Libary at the Right
Museum Interior - Second Floor - Old Wing
Museum Interior - Second Floor - New Wing
Museum Interior - Hall of Fame Plaques
Museum Interior - Historical Exhibit
Bust of Christy Mathewson by Gertrude Boyle Kanno
Cartoon - "It was a warm proposition in the old days" by Davenport
Comic Cigarette Cards*
Knickerbocker Nine 1864
Painting - "Safe" by Jared French
Painting - "Yankee Stadium" by William Godfrey*
Portrait of Major General Abner Doubleday
Print - Baseball in 1866 - Currier and Ives
Print - Union Prisoners Playing Ball at Salisbury, N.C. by Act. Major Otto Boetticher*

* Not in my collection, but to my best knowledge these exist

Please rate this guide below - only ~40 out of over 3,100 visitors have done so!

***** End of Guide:  B&W Baseball Hall of Fame Postcards - Albertype 1944-1952 - Copyright 2006, 2007,2008****