Thomas Everett "Tom" Burns played for Chicago from 1880 to 1891 at a range of infield spots, twice leading his league in games played. This Tom Burns, who shared given names with "Oyster" Burns, has four different cards in the N172 set, #59-1 through 59-4.

One of 27 two-player cards where the second player is not identified on the card, this issue depicts the third baseman tagging a teammate out as he tries to slide into the bag. Burns is tagging the player out with his left hand while pointing with his right hand to his teammate, who must have made a great throw, reminiscent of Javy Baez at his peak, celebrating before the tag was even applied.

Printing on the card has faded slightly over the 135 years since its issuance, yet the image retains good contrast. The painted studio background gives the appearance that the action being photographed is actually taking place on a field inside a stadium, which wasn't very common for the time or for this set in particular. The corners are sharp for the grade, and the edges are crisp, too. Centering is nice, with only some slight diamond cutting. The card's technical grade can be explained by some staining on the back, which does not affect the tremendous eye appeal of the front; however, the scarcity of this example far outweighs any aesthetic issues of this highly sought-after issue.

The SGC population report shows three #59-1 total graded examples, with only one higher than this Fair 1.5, and a half-step at that! A standout and dynamic pairing from this seminal set.