Lot 1. Original 1933-34 “Sky Birds” Artwork of Canadian WWI Pilot Lt. Alan A. McLeod. This original gouache painting, approximately 4.75” x 5.75”, was used to create card #85 in the 108-card set National Chicle issued in 1933 and 1934. According to text on the card back, McLeod was the only bomber pilot in World War I to earn the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for British and Commonwealth forces for gallantry in the face of the enemy. We have not been able to confirm that he was the only bomber pilot honored, but he definitely deserved and received the award. While growing up in Manitoba Province in Canada, McLeod was only 15 when he first tried, unsuccessfully, to enlist in the military to serve in World War I. At the age of 18, he was more successful, and after training, he was shipped to France. He was still only 18 on March 27, 1918 when, flying over Albert, France, in a Whitworth F.K.8, he and his observer, Lt. Arthur Hammond, destroyed an enemy triplane. Immediately they were attacked by eight planes; they brought down three. During the battle, McLeod and Hammond both were wounded by machine gun bullets. When their plane’s gas tank was punctured and the aircraft set on fire, McLeod maneuvered the plane into a very steep side-slip to fan the flames away from him and Hammond. The flames continued to scorch him, however. To escape them, he then jumped out of the cockpit onto the left wing and crouched low, with the joystick pulled hard over in his right hand. Next he smashed a hole through the fabric in the fuselage so that he could reach the rudder-wire with his left hand and guide the plane. His action kept the flames away from him and Hammond and prevented the aircraft from burning up. During this time, the plane apparently remained under enemy fire. When it finally crashed in No Man's Land, McLeod, despite his own injuries, dragged Hammond from the burning wreckage and, under heavy fire, carried him to relative safety before collapsing from exhaustion and loss of blood. McLeod had three wounds; the six Hammond received caused him to lose a leg. Prior to this encounter, McLeod apparently was known for using his bomber as a fighter plane when he could. He and his observer had shot down several German aircraft. To recuperate from his injuries, McLeod returned to Manitoba. He was only 19 when the Spanish influenza epidemic claimed his life there. At the invitation of McLeod’s family, Hammond moved to Manitoba after the war. He remained in Canada and died there in 1959 at the age of 69. This one-of-a-kind National Chicle artwork of McLeod shows a number of tiny, light stains. It is free of creases and displays beautifully. (For an example of McLeod’s “Sky Birds” card, please see Lot 648.)
Winning Bid $3,146
Lot 14. Scarce 1979 “Supersisters” Set of 72 Cards. This set is both a sport and non-sport issue, containing the photos and stories of women who achieved success in multiple fields. It includes Suzy “Chapstick” Chaffee, champion skier, ex-m; Nancy Dickerson, the first woman TV news correspondent for CBS and the first woman anchor at NBC, nm; Margaret Chase Smith, the first woman nominated for President by a major U.S. political party, nm+; Margaret Mead, the distinguished anthropologist, mint; Bonnie Tiburzi, the first woman hired as a pilot by a major U.S. airline, nm+; Rosa Parks, “the mother of the modern civil rights movement,” nm-m+; Gloria Steinem, “Ms.” magazine founder and editor and leader of the women’s movement, nm-m; Helen Hayes, “the First Lady of the American Theater,” mint; Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman elected to Congress, nm, and 63 more. The set originated in 1978 from a question nine-year-old Melissa Rich, a baseball card collector, asked her mother, Lois: "Mom, why aren't there any pictures of girls on the cards? It isn't fair!" In response, Lois Rich, with the help of her sister, Barbara Ergerman, obtained a $3,000 grant through the New York State Education Department and created the set. The cards have color or sepia photos on the front and information on the individual’s achievements on the back. Cards generally range from nm to mint and average nm-m.
Winning Bid $301
Lot 15. Scarce 1951 Bowman R701-13 “Jets, Rockets, Spacemen” Near Set – 102 of 108 Cards. This fantastic futuristic set presents colorful scenes of earthlings exploring the universe. The stories on the card backs provide entertaining reading. The missing cards are all from the middle series - #37, 38, 47, 55, 56 and 60. Card #1 grades vg+, and #108, vg+. Here are the grades of the cards by series: #1-36, ex 2 cards, vg-ex 16, vg 10, g 5 and f 2. #37-72, ex 1 card, vg-ex 13, vg 6, g 5, f 4 and p 1. And #73-108, ex 2 cards, vg-ex 26, vg 4, and g 3. This Bowman offering is one of the stars of the non-sport universe.
Winning Bid $433
Lot 53. 16 Vintage Valentine Cards with a Baseball Theme. These cards are predominantly from the 1950s and 1960s. Almost all are pictured. Their size ranges from approximately 2” x 4” to 4.5” x 7”. Some have writing on their backs, which typically are blank. Some have moveable parts. Without the writing on the back considered, these cards are primarily ex or better.
Winning Bid $30
Lot 413. 7 Vintage Valentine Cards with a Football Theme Plus 1 Croquet and 2 Baseball. Valentine cards with a football theme are much scarcer than baseball Valentines. Primarily from the 1950s and 1960s, these cards range in size from approximately 2” x 4” to 5” x 7.5”. All are pictured. Some have writing on their backs, which typically are blank. Some have moveable parts. These Valentines are ex to ex-m. We have not considered the back writing in grading them.
Minimum Bid $20
Lot 648. 1934 National Chicle R136 Sky Birds Card #85 of Canadian WWI Pilot Lt. Alan A. McLeod. Ex card from the attractive 108-card set produced from an original gouache painting. In World War I at the age of 18, McLeod received the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for British and Commonwealth forces for gallantry in the face of the enemy. McLeod’s story is told in detail in Lot 1.
Winning Bid $25
Lot 649. 28 Vintage U.S. and 13 Car Postcards, Paris and Old Car Photos, and “The Queen’s English.” Planes, trains and automobiles – and much more – make up this collection. VINTAGE POSTCARDS: These 28 postcards are primarily from the early 1900s through the 1940s. We describe them by decade based on postmarks and other information. These cards are in color unless otherwise noted. Pre-1910s – Seven, including four black & white -- Two copies, “New York as Seen from Fall River Line Boats” with “‘Priscilla’ Leaving Pier at New York,” both postmarked 1906. Vg. Both have some written correspondence on the border. Couple hugging in a car, “When ignorance is bliss, ‘tis folly to be wise,” 1909 postmark. Vg-ex. Ironically, in a message on the reverse, the sender writes: “Hello! Dan why don’t you answer my post cards.” Train, “At the Burling Station Odell Nebr,” p-f. Color cards are -- “Car Trestle, Natick, R.I.,” 1909 postmark, message on the back, vg. “New Rail Road Station, Bridgeport, Conn.,” 1907 postmark, writing in bottom front border, g-vg. And “Union Station, Portland, Maine,” 1909 postmark, g+ to vg. 1910s – Both of these cards are borderless: “Rutland, Vt., Railroad Station,” printed in Germany, unused, ex-m, and “James Street Incline Railway, Hamilton, Ont., Canada,” printed in Great Britain, small scuffs on the back; otherwise, ex and unused. “Municipal and Woolworth Bldgs., New York,” postmarked but date unreadable, vg-ex. And “D. & H. Station, Oneonta, N.Y.,” apparently with a 1912 postmark, g+. 1920s – These two cards are borderless, have a chrome appearance, and are from Acmegraph Co. of Chicago and unused: “504. Van Buren Street Viaduct, Chicago,” vg, and “Dearborn St. North from Van Buren Chicago,” g+. And a four-panel fold-out postcard, approximately 3.5” x 22”, “Campus, University of Maine, Orono, ME.,” note written on two panels on the back, one panel detached, otherwise a nice vg. 1930s – “Cunard White Star” ship by Kenneth Shoesmith, printed in England, unused, ex. “Promenade Deck, S. S. North American & South American,” schedule for a “Week’s Cruise on Four Lakes” on the back, vg. And “Famous French Market, New Orleans, LA.,” linen, unused, ex-m. 1940s – Real photos -- “Market St. Showing Four Car Tracks San Francisco,” military stamp and note from a private on the back, vg-ex. “The Ringling Mansion, Sarasota, FLA,” #M1121, unused, ex+. “Mable Ringling’s Bedroom,” #2-A-187,” unused, vg+ to ex, and “Feeding Time – Marine Studios – On Fla. A1A – Marineland, Fla.,” #2-D-13,” unused, ex. And linen – “C-3 Looking North on ‘G’ Avenue, Douglas, Arizona,” Curteich, unused, ex. “Main Street,” Bar Harbor, ME.,” 1941 postmark, vg+ to ex. “Old ‘Bill’ Pelican, St. Petersburg, Florida P-163,” Tichnor, some light toning on the unused back, ex. “It’s a Lot of Bull About Being Peaceful…,” comic postcard, unused, vg-ex. And “Jimmie’s Spaghetti House” in Madison, WI., ex+. 1950s or Later: “Madison Square Garden, New York City,” 1952 postmark, vg+. “Rip Van Dam Hotel-Motel,” Sarasota Springs, N.Y., unused, vg-ex. And “Skegness is So Bracing,” Drumahoe Graphics, unused, vg+. CAR POSTCARDS: Promotional cards including 1959 Rambler Custom Cross Country vg+, 1970s Ford Courier (2), 1970s Ford Club Wagon, apparent 1974 Ford or Mercury Capri 2800 V-6, 1976 Buick Estate Wagon, 1979 Ford Bronco, 1979 Ford Fiesta 3-Door, and 1980 Ford: Pickup, Econoline, Fairmont, another Pickup and an F-350. Except for the Rambler, these cards average ex-m to nm. Only the Capri postcard has been used. PARIS PHOTOS: Packet of 20 “Paris Photographies Artistiques” 2.5” x 3.5” b&w photos, probably from the 1950s, showing Paris architecture, including the Eifel Tower, Notre Dame, the Basetille and the Arc de Triomphe (Arch of Triumph). Ex to ex-m photos in a p original envelope. OLD CAR PHOTOS: Three 3.5” x 5” photos the same of two Studebaker President vehicles, one a 1932 convertible roadster and the other, a 1938 convertible sedan. All three are nm, each with an identifying sticker on the back. THE QUEEN’S ENGLISH: From the Travel and Tourism Division of Raleigh, NC, a 24-page “Dictionary” to help visitors with the dialect and expressions of North Carolinians. Ex+ cover with nm pages.
Minimum Bid $50
Lot 650. 101 Ogden’s 1901 and 1902 Tab Cigarette Cards from 13 Series or Sets. A total of 97 different cards. Each has a black & white photo on the front. Almost all have a brief description on the back. Fifty-eight are from six different 1901-02 “General Interest” series: Series A (3 cards), including Charles Dickens and a cricket bowler (“pitcher”). Series B (13 cards), including London Bridge, military leaders, actresses, bull fighting, a Zulu war dance, a cyclist, and a kangaroo and wallaby. Series C (14), ships, horses, elephants, train engines and actresses. Series D (23, 1 duplicate), dogs, horses, ships and sailors. Series F (3), a lion, horses and sailors. And from a Series of 120 (2 cards), an actress and the Bank of England. The other sets are: Imperial Interest (1 card), Major Vaux. Imperial or International Interest (20), primarily military leaders and scenes, and two photos from China. International Interest (2), Queen Victoria and King Edward VII. International Interest or Prominent British Officers (5). Leading Artistes of the Day (1). Leading Generals at the War (10, 2 duplicates). Leading Generals at the War, no description on the back, 4 cards. Vg to vg-ex, with some cards grading lower, and some higher.
Winning Bid $61
Lot 651. 6 W.D. & H.O. Wills Sets Featuring Coats of Arms – Borough, British Empire, Companies, Foreign Cities. Each set or series consists of 50 cards, accounting for 300 in this collection. Three series of 50 cards each are from “Borough Arms” set. Each series, issued in 1905, has a colorful coat of arms for an English borough, city or town. The back describes the history and significance of the elements in the coat of arms. The coats of arms for Great Britain & Ireland, England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland are among these series. The three other sets have a similar format. In 1910, Wills distributed the “Arms of the British Empire” set, which displays the coats of arms for countries, provinces and cities around the globe, and even some businesses – the Hudson Bay Company, the East India Company, Cape Town, Rhodesia, Bermuda, Nova Scotia, Commonwealth of Australia, British Columbia, Jamaica, Calcutta, New Zealand, Tasmania, Canada, etc. The 1912 “Arms of Foreign Cities” set includes Vienna, Copenhagen, New York, Athens, Rome, Paris, Berlin, Moscow and others. And from 1913, “Arms of Companies,” which represent professions or skills, rather than specific companies – Butchers, Clothmakers, Fishmongers, Bakers, Playing-Card Makers, Musicians, Plumbers, Blacksmiths, Weavers, Brewers, Barber-Surgeons, etc. The cards present attractive artwork and intriguing information. The second and third series cards in the “Borough Arms” set are ex. Cards from the other sets are generally vg-ex to ex.
Minimum Bid $40
Lot 652. 1911-12 T99 “Sights and Scenes of the World” Partial Set of 35 Cards. From a set of 50, this partial set comprises 35 different cards plus five duplicates. Twenty-six cards are slightly trimmed, most by 1/16” to 1/8”. Size variations in issues from this era occasionally occur. The “Sport Americana” size given for these cards in 1981 is 2-3/8” x 3-7/16”. The following 14 cards vary slightly in size but show no signs of trimming. Four cards in this group of 14 are 2-3/8” or slightly larger by approximately 1/32” short of the 3-7/16” figure: The Alps vg+, the Colosseum vg+, the Geysers in Yellowstone g+ to vg and the Leaning Tower of Pisa vg+ to ex. Seven are 2-3/8” x 3-3/8”: The Arch of Triumph, the Grand Opera House Paris, the Pyramids, Ruins of Pompeii, St. Gotthard Tunnel, the Tower of London and Westminster Abbey; these cards average vg to vg-ex. Two are 1/32” short of 2-3/8” and measure slightly more than 3-3/8”: The Great Sphinx g and the Library of Congress vg with a stain. And one card is slightly short of 2-3/8” and measures 3-3/8”: The Fourth Bridge, Scotland g. Among the slightly trimmed cards, with grades for their as-trimmed appearance, are the Cathedral of Notre Dame vg, the Eifel Tower ex, the Grand Canyon vg-ex, Niagara Falls ex, the Rock of Gibraltar vg-ex, the Statue of Liberty vg+, the Wall of China ex, the Washington Monument vg-ex and Westminster Abbey vg+. The unlisted cards average vg+. Thirty-one of the 35 cards and three duplicates (34 total) have advertising on the back for both Pan Handle Scrap and Royal Bengals. The cards with only Pan Handle Scrap are the Colosseum, the Geysers in Yellowstone, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Library of Congress (in the group of 35), as well as the Alps and the Lakes of Killarney (duplicates).
Winning Bid $20
Lot 653. 4 Will’s Cigarettes Flower Card Sets –Roses, Alpine Flowers, Garden Flowers and Flowers in Pots. Each set consists of 50 cards, each 1 3/8” x 2 5/8” with color fronts and descriptions on the back. Together, these sets provide a tutorial on flowers. The 1926 “Roses” set pictures 50 varieties of roses and typically provides a description of the rose, how to care for it and some information on its history. Pernetiana, Polyantha, Hybrid Tea, Wichuraiana, Hybrid Perpetual, Climbing Polyantha and Climbing Hybrid Tea roses are described. The earliest card set, from 1910, features “Old English Garden Flowers.” Flowers range from Asters to Wallflowers and include the Chrysanthemum, Fuchsia, Foxglove, Opium Poppy, Dahlia and some obscure varieties. Among the 1913 “Alpine Flowers” are the Alpine Rose, Cauline Thistle, Bird’s-Eye Primrose, Ox-Eye, Creeping Forget-Me-Not, Alpine Catchfly, etc. The 1925 “Flower Culture in Pots” set presents details on potting and caring for the various plants, such as Hedgehog Cactus, Fuchsia, Gloxinia, Hydrangea, Orchid, Solanum and Vallota (Scarborough Lilly). These sets are vg-ex to ex.
Winning Bid $25
Lot 654. 2 Sets of Bird Cards – “British Birds” and “Birds & Their Young.” Both 50-card sets have color photos or illustrations on the front and information about the bird on the back. In 1915, the W.D. & H.O. Wills Cigarette Co. produced the “British Birds” set. Bird range from the Blackbird to the Yellow Wagtail with various types of finches and warblers, as well as the Yellow Hammer, Wryneck, Tree-Creeper, Redwing, Dipper, Corn-Crake and Nightjar. The “Birds & Their Young” (Eire) set is a 1937 premium from John Player & Sons. The set has adhesive backs. Female and male birds are distinguished in this set, which includes Bullfinches, Buzzards, a Cormorant, Golden Eagles, Nightingale, Ring Ouzels, Stonechats, Mute Swans, and Warblers and Thrushes. These sets generally are vg-ex to ex.
Winning Bid $10
Lot 655. 3 Rare 1920s Aicardi (I-Car-De) Mayonnaise Films Stars Cards Including Lillian Gish. These 2 3/16” x 3 3/8” green-tone cards are from a set of 14, plus two variations. They were issued by James A. Aicardi & Sons of Boston. Gish, whose career spanned 1912-87, was known as the “First Lady of American Cinema.” A leading actress of the 1910s and 1920s, she starred in various W. D. Griffith films. She received an Honorary Academy Award in 1971, f-g. The stars of the two other cards are Malcolm McGregor, who appeared in 55 movies from 1922-36, and Theodore Roberts, who performed in early Cecil B. DeMille movies. Both are vg+.
Winning Bid $20
Lot 656. 2 Card Sets Featuring Ships – 1936 Dominion “Old Ships,” 1924 Wills “Merchant Ships of the World.” Fifty cards make up the Wills set. These cards have color fronts, each with a ship, and descriptive backs. Among the ships are the T.S.S. California, the S.S. Empress of Australia, the S.S. Empress of Canada, the S.S. France, the R.M.S. Nieuw Amsterdam, the R.M.S. Rotterdam, the R.M.S.P. Ohio, the S.S. America, the S.S. Pittsburgh and 41 more. The Dominion Tobacco offering is the Fourth Series of its “Old Ships.” The 25 cards have fronts printed in blue and informational backs. The old ships include the Queen Mary, Star of Italy, Kinfauns Castle, China, Mexican and City of Richmond. Many are sailing ships built in the 1870s and 1880s. Cards in the 1936 Dominion “Old Ships” set average ex to ex-m. Several cards in the 1924 Wills “Merchant Ships of the World” set have creases; the set averages vg-ex to ex, with some cards grading lower, and some higher.
Winning Bid $35
Lot 657. 1926 Wills Cigarettes “Wonders of the Past” Card Set. Fifty cards with color photographs or illustrations on the fronts and informational backs constitute this set. The “wonders” are from Africa, Asia and Europe: The Great Pyramid of Cheops, the Sphinx of Giza, an Easter Island image, Nineveh, the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal, the Bronze Buddha at Kobe, the Parthenon, Solomon’s Temple at Jerusalem, the Colosseum and 40 more. Vg+ to ex.
Winning Bid $10
