1874 Athletic BBC: Series Guide






Set Description:

The 1874 Athletic B.B.C. of Philadelphia Cabinets series was inspired by the ultra-rare 1874 Suppards & Fennemore Cabinets.

1874 Suppards & Fennemore Cabinets

  • All the images used to make the 1874 Athletic B.B.C. of Philadelphia Cabinets are original to the 1874 Suppards & Fennemore Cabinets series
  • The Suppards & Fennemore photographic studio was located at 820 Arch Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • The Suppards & Fennemore series consists of 12 known cabinet cards featuring members of the 1874 Philadelphia Athletics
  • The images are the source of 12 woodcut illustrations originally published in the July 25, 1874 edition of Harper’s Weekly
  • While 5 of the 12 cards were not confirmed to exist until recently (including Cap Anson), researchers long suspected their existence based upon the Harper’s woodcuts
  • Suppard & Fennemore Cabinets measure 4.25″ by 6.5″

Ars Longa: 1874 Athletic B.B.C. of Philadelphia Cabinets

  • The 1874 Athletic B.B.C. of Philadelphia Cabinets pay tribute to the original Suppards & Fennemore Cabinets by not deviating too far from their forebear’s presentation
  • By (mostly) preserving the sepia-toned backgrounds and focusing color on the subjects, the design sparks players to life with a 3D-like pop that is missing from the originals
  • Printed on high-resolution metallic satin photo paper, player images display a rich & vibrant depth of color and detail with a tin-type like sheen
  • Like the originals, the players’ photographs are fastidiously and permanently affixed to a thick cardboard mount, providing a durable and attractive frame for the photograph
  • The reverse of the cabinets is an ornate design featuring a remarkable photograph of the 1874 Athletics in which every member of the team, and every subject of this series, is present


Before & After:

Mike McGeary
1874 Suppards & Fennemore

Mike McGeary
Ars Longa: Athletic of Philadelphia



Card Reverses:

  • The 1874 Athletic B.B.C. of Philadelphia design has been used on the backs of all the cabinets in the series from 2017 to present
  • The copyright & date stamps on the cabinets are updated yearly to reflect dates of production



Size, Weight, Design, History & Status:

  • Dimensions: 4.5″ x 7″
  • Thickness: 40 pts
  • GSM: 500
  • Current Number in Set: 7 Cards
  • Anticipated Number in Set: 12 cards
  • Inspiration: 1874 Suppards & Fennemore Cabinets
  • Designed: September, 2017
  • Introduced: September, 2017
  • Completed: This series is still a work in progress
  • Current Status: Active
  • Current Frequency of Release: On average, one of each card per year