That postcard was for Ratsch Peerless Athletic Goods.
Ratsch Peerless was a Chicago Sporting Goods Manufacturing Co. as noted on the card. They sold more than just baseball equipment as boxing gloves and a punching speed bag are also pictured on the card.
The graphics are just awesome with a baseball game in progress with the pitcher, catcher, third baseman and shortstop pictured as well as the batter for the team on offense. The rest of the team members are seated in their respective dugouts. The Grandstand looms over the field taking up the majority of the center of the postcard filled with spectators and even the netting behind home plate to protect those fans seated there.There are two individual players pictured, one on each side in the borders. One player from the Chicago White Sox and the other player from the Washington squad. Interestingly the caption at the very bottom of this postcard notes it should be a picture of the "Championship Series 1908, Chicago Cubs vs. Detroit Tigers".
What I didn't know about this postcard when I first saw it was that it was actually more than just an advertisement for Ratsch Peerless sporting goods, but it's an ad for the Ratsch Peerless window display that retailers could order for free. The writing is printed on the post card not actually hand written as it has been seen on more than one example of the postcard address to different recipients.
Here is the back of the postcard. It reads as follows:
This illustrates our window display panorama. Do you want one? If so, write us & we will tell you how to get one free.
Apparently retailers could order a larger version of the front of the postcard to display in their window. But what the writing doesn't tell us is any details about the display.
Well, I then found another piece that has the same image as the Ratsch Peerless ad, only this one is for Diamond Brand Athletic Goods. This piece turned out to be a page from a catalog for Norvell-Shapleigh Hardware Company from 1910. And it gives a bit more info to the mystery of the window display.
This page from the catalog is larger than the standard size postcard for Ratsch Peerless measuring 12 x 10.5 inches. At the top of the image it reads, "Diamond Brand Show Window Display". But the part that interests me the most is the fine print at the bottom of the page which reads:
The above is a color reproduction of our Diamond Brand Window Display - actual size, 28 inches high, 40 inches wide, 10 inches deep: shows a perfect Base Ball Diamond and Grand Stand; each player is cut out in Cardboard and is in proper position. The Home Team is dressed in White, the Visitors in Blue; arranged so that and electric light can be inserted, thereby making an effective display at night as well as day.
Furnished to Handlers of Diamond Brand Base Ball Goods. Full particulars furnished upon request.
This tells us that the window display was actually not just a flat cardboard sign to be placed in the window, but it was actually a three dimensional display with multiple layers. Retailers could even place a light inside the display to light it up at night. And it was quite large at over two feet tall and more than three feet wide.
To date, none of the original displays have ever been found intact so we have to use our imaginations to picture the piece. I would love to see one if one ever surfaces.
I also find it interesting that the same image was used by Ratsch Peerless and Diamond Brand which suggests the displays were actually made by a third party and licensed out to other interested parties. Similar to how Felix Mendelson printed the M101-4 set and had multiple companies use them to print their own ads on the backs.
I wouldn't be surprised to find another example with a third company's advertising on it. What do you guys think? Do you like these pieces or no?
Enjoy the hobby all...it's a great one.
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