"Parisian Bob" Caruthers, so-called for his infamous contract holdout negotiated via cross-Atlantic telegram, played a dominant dual-role as pitcher and hitter for the St. Louis Browns. This natty cap and collared lace-up jersey demonstrate how this subset retains great appeal to Old Judge collectors, in particular those seeking its "Champions 1886" subset.

Bob's amazing 218-99 pitching record and great hitting skill bring his name into Cooperstown conversations from time-to-time. His comparatively short career and lower grade of American Association competition make that unlikely, barring reconsideration of that league's performance as a whole. Whether or not he reaches the Hall of Fame, many consider him the league's best-ever two-way player, praise indeed for such a significant baseball era.

This SGC GOOD 2 example features moderate contrast, strongest around Bob's face and jersey, with an angled bottom edge and varied specks of surface wear that do little to detract from his stately visage. Combined population reports show just a few total graded for this high-interest subset, so it will be tough indeed to improve on examples of any grade, let alone one so presentable.

The legend is that most photos from the 19th century show deadpan expressions because studio cameras required long exposures. It's more apt to say that studios retained an air of formality that discouraged smiling and joking, enough so that portrait photos remained restrained well beyond the development of fast-click photography.