One of several studios utilized by Goodwin & Co to take photos to be used on the N172 and N173 Old Judge cards, the Fearnaught Photography studio of Indianapolis produced this photograph, likely used as a proof. This pose would become the card we know today as #496-2, one of nine different poses of White featured in the N172 issue. White is, of course, the most rare of all the Hall of Famers in the N172 Old Judge issue, one of the more scarce cards of any player. Old Judge cards and cabinets of White are highly prized, and the cabinets from his estate are extremely significant.
A number of Fearnaught cabinets featuring different poses of Hall of Famer Deacon White found their way into the hobby through his estate; this particular example originated with those sold at auction back in 2006. Though the cabinet has been graded GOOD 2 by SGC, it is simply a spectacular example, with incredible sharpness and image contrast, and a clean mount. The blank reverse exhibits some minor staining and a bit of paper loss from scrapbook mounting, the resultant damage similar to others originating from the estate. As is the case with many 19th Century issues, the album helped preserve the quality of the image and mount despite the damaged reverse; the result is an outstanding cabinet photo. White's Old Judge cards are considered among the more scarce in the issue, and certainly among the most scarce Hall of Famers. An outstanding image of a recently-inducted Hall of Famer, likely produced as a proof and given directly to Deacon White by the studio.