PLAQUES

ANTIQUE SPORTS

PLAQUES

By Carlton Hendricks

The main aspects which determine the quality of an antique sports plaque would be size, art quality,
medium (material it's made from) and the commission, that is the event or purpose it was produced for.

For this examination of sports plaques We'll start with the commission aspect. Most antique sports plaques you see are trophy plaques that have been awarded to a team or individual. Naturally the higher profile, that is the more recognizable the team or individual, the more desirable they generally are. For instance, a plaque that was awarded to high school team you've never heard of won't have the same desirability as one awarded to a big name college team. The same for those awarded to individuals.

A classic design of an antique sports plaque would incorporate a bronze relief plaque attached to an oak backing. There are many other formats however. Some have no backing. Plaques can be found cast of any material, including spelter (white metal), plaster, and Galvano. Galvano was a process popular in the 1920-30's in which a plaster cast was
electroplated with copper and given an induced patina to resemble bronze. Galvano pieces typically look remarkably like bronze since copper is the primary medium of bronze.

Size is very much an important aspect of plaques, and generally larger ones at least 15" tall are most desirable. In sports display antiques it's all about presentation, and larger usually equates to a better presentation.

CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE

Circa 1913

Central States Amateur

Rowing Association Trophy Plaque

Junior Single Scull

Collection of the author

16 inch wide by 13 inch tall

Silver plate on Bronze Art Metal

Mounted on original wood backing

(Possibly jobbed to Heintz Art Metal)

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Click photos to enlarge

Close up of

makers marking

Mermod-Jaccard &

King Co. St Louis

Back of plaque with original fabric backing and hanger

Purchased March 5th 2006 at

Antique Trove Mall, Roseville, Ca.

c1900 high relief football plaque

14 inch wide by 12 inch tall, of plaster

click photos to enlarge

back

sculptor's signature

G.M. Bailey

Yesterday I got back from a three day ski trip at Lake Tahoe. When my friends dropped me off at my car in Sacramento, it was Sunday afternoon about 5:00PM. I figured while I was in the area I'd run thru the Antique Trove Mall in nearby Roseville, since it closed at 6:00PM. I'd been thru the store many times over the years, but had only made one other sports find there, a circa 1930's boxing gloves box. P1, P2, P3, which I sold on eBay. The same booth I got that at, had this football plaque. I wasn't expecting to find anything, so it shocked me when I saw it. I really looked it over carefully, but it looked to be real. So I took it up to the front desk to ask if any discount was available. They looked up the dealer and read the note out loud: no discounts, do not call. No problem, I snipped off the price tag and handed it to the clerk...game over. It was coming with me discount or not. The players appear to be from around 1900, based on the reeded pants, and that half the players aren't wearing head gear. The opposing teams wear blue and red jerseys, which could represent one of the most famous football rivalries of the era, Harvard and Yale. The relief sculpting of the scene is in what's referred to as "high relief". High relief is the term for relief work that juts out an inch or so, as opposed to relief work that sticks out just enough to impart the needed definition. Relief sculpture is also referred to by the French term "base relief" (pronounced - "ba relif") The arm of the player getting tackled sticks out about 1 1/4 inch. In 18 years it's the only example I've seen. I'm not sure what to make of it, but I think it's c1900. Though it's possible it could have been an advertising piece done later. I think it's more likely something a student may have done as an art project. The art quality seems like that of an amateur, but it's not bad. Pretty ambitious really for an amateur. It's signed G.M. Bailey. The average joe probably wouldn't be too impressed, but in the context of art, it's a very rare and early example of American football sculpture.

IF YOU HAVE SEEN ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THIS PLAQUE, OR HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON IT, PLEASE CONTACT ME VIA THE COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS FORM ON THE HOME PAGE, THANKS - CARLTON

Detailed commentary on this exceptional item is forthcoming, please check back, thank you for your patience - Carlton