1928/1929 Stevens-Davis Men of America (H572) Set and Checklist

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Pre-War Cards

‘It’s In The Details’

Title	Stevens-Davis Men of America Booklets (H572)
Year	1928 and/or 1929
Size	2 1/2″ x 4 1/4″
Images	Black and White
Type	Trade
Number in Set	55

1928/1929 Stevens-Davis Men of America Overview

These interesting items were listed in the American Card Catalog as H572. As is the case with numerous listings in that book, these actually not trading cards, though. Instead, they are miniature booklets.

Produced by the Stevens-Davis Company in Chicago, the title explains a little about what they are. These are a booklets featuring some of the greatest men in the country up to the 1920s. Dating on these booklets vary with some sources citing them as a 1928 set while others claiming they are from 1929. These were created as a motivational tool for various companies to use with their employees. An employee gift box is known for them as well.

The booklets all have the same general design – a larger black and white image of the subject against a series of colorful backgrounds. There are some color variations known as well, which can make a master set tricky.

The booklets mostly comprise non-sports personalities, such as presidents, inventors, and businessmen. However, they are of interest here as a few depict those from the world of sports. One of the most popular booklets in the series is that of Walter Camp, the father of modern football.

Arguably the most sought after, booklet No. 35 is also very important as it depicts American athletes. Hall of Fame golfer Bobby Jones is found on one cover side and baseball Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby is on the other. The inside of the booklet also pictures tennis Hall of Famer Bill Tilden, Penn/Navy college football, and swimmer Johnny Weismuller.

Kenesaw Mountain Landis ‘Rookie’ Card

Another popular booklet is one featuring Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis. Landis was a federal judge that became baseball’s first commissioner in the wake of the 1919 Black Sox scandal.

Depicting a cartoon scene of baseball players on the front, it is one of his few baseball issues.

Landis’ booklet is an important one because the legendary figure appears on a surprisingly small amount of pre-war baseball items aside from photographs. In fact, this is his only known cataloged issue and is recognized by many collectors as a rookie card of sorts.

However, Landis does appear on at least one very rare postcard that might predate this issue. Additionally, he appeared on a team photo with the Hartford Senators in 1916, though he was not yet commissioner at that time.

Here’s a bit more on the Landis booklet as well as a few of his other collectibles from the pre-war era.

Variations

While 52 booklets is often the cited amount there are actually a total of 55 as three checklisted numbers have more than one variation.

There are No. 11 booklets for both Independence Day and Thomas Jefferson. Myles Standish and William Bradford are both No. 19. And Haley Fiske has two different variations – a portrait and a full body picture on booklet No. 42.

Additionally, color variations in the set exist. Those could be the product of different booklets being printed in different years but that is not clear. No real price premium exists or the color variations.