1943-48 Parade Sportive Photographs Set and Checklist

Posted on October 6, 2016 by Pre-War Cards

‘It’s In The Details’

Title	Parade Sportive Photographs
Year	1943-48
Size	Varies
Images	Black and White
Type	Publications
Number in Set	Unknown

1943-48 Parade Sportive Photographs Overview

Parade Sportive was the name of a radio program hosted by Paul Stuart. While many collectors are only familiar with the baseball photographs, the program also created several photographs of hockey players and other athletes.

There are different sizes of these photographs available — in general, though, there are smaller size photographs approximately 5″ x 9″ in size and a larger 7″ x 10″ size, though slight variations have been reported. Regardless of size, both types of the photos are black and white and have blank backs.

Because the baseball photographs feature minor league players, many of the subjects that were printed in the series are not significant ones. However, the set has gained popularity as it includes the legendary Jackie Robinson. Of note is that a player named Pepper Martin is included in the set. However, that is not the same player as Hall of Famer Pepper Martin, who played a little before this set was released.

Stuart’s program also distributed photographs of hockey players in the 1940s as well. Among the more popular ones is that for Hall of Famer Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard. Hockey players include those for various teams in the National Hockey League. While Richard is the prize among the hockey players, several other Hall of Famers are included in the set as well.

Finally, photographs were also created of a few other athletes from other minor less popular sports, such as boxing, tennis, wrestling, weight lifting, skiing, ice skating, and more. A photograph in the series for Canadian boxing champion Dave Castilloux is notable. Castilloux is featured on a Parade Sportive photo but his name is not printed on it — only his signature. But the key boxers in the series are Hall of Famers from the United States Jack Dempsey and Joe Louis. Boxing and wrestling great Primo Carnera is another notable subject.

Of note is that the series almost exclusively consisted of only Canadian athletes. Thus, many of the subjects in the individual sports are less known.

Jackie Robinson … and Roy Partlow

Robinson’s photographs, of course, are the most valuable among the baseball players. Even beyond that, his photos are the most of any athlete in the series.

Robinson is actually featured twice in the set — once on a standalone photo and then also part of a photograph featuring the 1946 Montreal Royals team. Additionally, the set includes Royals team photos from 1944 and 1945 but Robinson was not with the team during those years. Subsequently, he was not included in those photographs and those are not as valuable.

The card is sometimes offered as a Robinson ‘rookie’ card, even if technically incorrect since he did not join the major leagues until 1947.

Even modest copies of the photo sell for over $1,000. Thus, it is often forged and collectors seeking one should be wary when buying.

Robinson, who would break Major League Baseball’s color barrier in 1947 is not the only black player in the set. Also included is Roy Partlow, a fellow negro leaguer. Partlow did not reach the majors but played with Jackie on the 1946 Montreal team. His photo, as a result, carries a premium, though prices for it can fluctuate greatly. Also of note is that Partlow’s name is misspelled as Portlow.

Varying Types

While different photographs exist in the series, the overall look is basically the same. All have thick white borders with the aforementioned black and white images. Additionally, the Parade Sportive name is printed at the top in large letters with Paul Stuart’s name below in smaller font. Because Parade Sportive had the same initials as Paul Stuart, the P and the S in the Parade Sportive name were oversized to be used for Paul Stuart’s name as well.

However, the styles are not exactly the same. Some have a smaller Parade Sportive/Paul Stuart headline and have a coupon printed at the bottom. Others have the larger Parade Sportive/Paul Stuart name and have an advertisement or sponsor printed.

It is worth noting that different types of photographs for the same athletes can feature minor differences in the cropping of the picture. For example, Richard has two different styles of photographs available. Both use the same picture but one has a cropped version where the end of his hockey stick is cut off.

Subject Variations

At least one variation is known in the hockey series and others may exist as well. Modere Fernand “Mud” Bruneteau played for the Detroit Red Wings and is included in the set (as an aside, his brother Eddie is also in the set). Bruneteau has two known variations in the set.

One version has his nickname “Mud” printed in his name at the bottom while the other does not. It is not known if either is rarer or was issued earlier. Similarly, there is not any real difference in pricing.

Additionally, two different photos exist for ice skater Barbara Ann Scott. One features her in a lighter uniform while the other pictures her in a different pose and in a darker uniform.

Finally, there are several different versions of the Montreal Royals team photographs, as documented in this thread.

Additional Parade Sportive ‘Card’

In addition to the Parade Sportive photographs, the program also created a collectible card bearing the title of ‘Meilleurs Souhaits,’ translated to ‘Best Wishes’ in French.

The front of the card is printed in green ink and includes cartoon depictions of athletes form a wide variety of sports. Stuart’s portrait image is in the middle. The front also includes the famous Parade Sportive/Paul Stuart design as is found on the photographs.

While the photographs are rare and generally more desirable, the Meilleurs Souhaits card is much tougher to find. The card is completely blank on the back and it is unknown what purpose these cards held or how they were distributed.

This card is also believed to have been offered during the 1940s.

1943-48 Parade Sportive Photographs Checklist

Below are the photographs I have seen/confirmed. Others are likely to exist in the hockey and other sports sports lists. Note that James Babcock (baseball) has been reported but I have not yet seen his photo.

Baseball