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

‘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 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. A second important figure is found on booklet No. 17. That one features 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.

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.

1928/1929 Stevens-Davis Men of America Checklist

1. Teddy Roosevelt
2. Thomas Edison
3. John Pershing
4. George Washington
5. Charles Lindbergh
6. Charles Schwab
7. Ben Franklin
8. Will Rogers
9. Robert Dollar
10. D.W. Brosman
11. Independence Day and Thomas Jefferson
12. Richard Byrd
13. Alvin York
14. Abraham Lincoln
15. Luther Burbank
16. Charles Steinmetz
17. Walter Camp
18. John Wanamaker
19. Myles Standish and William Bradford
20. Walter Gifford
21. George Goethals
22. George Dewey
23. Gustavus Swift
24. William Hoskins
25. A.P. Giannini
26. Owen Young
27. George Westinghouse
28. Orville Wright
29. James Davis
30. Russell Conwell
31. Cyrus Curtis
32. Douglas Fairbanks
33. W.W. Atterbury
34. Elbert Gary
35. American Athletes
36. Donald MacMillan
37. Frank Woolworth
38. Elbert Hubbard
39. E.M. Statler
40. John Patterson
41. George Eastman
42. Haley Fiske (two variations – full body pose and portrait)
43. John McCutcheon
44. W.M. Burton
45. Calvin Coolidge
46. Julius Rosenwald
47. Harvey Firestone
48. Alfred Sloan
49. Kennesaw Mountain Landis
50. Cecil De Bille
51. Walter Head
52. Henry Ford

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