The Following Lot Originates from the Jake Virtue Estate Collection (click here for info.)

Edwin John McKean played 13 seasons as a Major League shortstop; all but one with the Cleveland Blues/Spiders from 1887-1899. He was signed by the Cleveland Blues of the American Association in 1887 and became the club’s starting shortstop in their first year as a MLB team. He remained at that position for that franchise (which was renamed the Spiders in 1889) for virtually its entire existence. He went on to player-manage and then outright manage in the minors with the Rochester Bronchos from 1902-1908. He played with all the Cleveland Spiders Hall of Famers including Jesse Burkett John Clarkson George Davis Buck Ewing Bobby Wallace and the immortal Cy Young. 

Ed McKean had a very productive Major League career with 2083 hits and a lifetime batting average of .302. He drove in 1124 runs including four seasons with 110 or more RBI and hit 66 home runs which was considered great at that time. The home runs coupled with a career 323 stolen bases made McKean an early progenitor of today’s speed and power combo players.

In 1895 the Cleveland Spiders beat the Baltimore Orioles four games to one to win the “Temple Cup”. Ed McKean was an invaluable member of that team leading the National League in plate appearances for the second time in his career. When he and most of the other best players for the Cleveland Spiders were transferred to the St. Louis Perfectos prior to the 1899 season by the Robison brothers who owned both teams (an unfortunate conflict of interest) it signaled the beginning of the end for the depleted Spiders who folded after that year.

Ed McKean is featured here on this stunning cabinet produced by the Pifer & Becker Photo Palace of Cleveland Ohio. This cabinet along with the five other Pifer & Becker cabinets in the Jake Virtue Collection featured in this auction bear the same images featured in one of the nineteenth-century collecting world's holy grail card issues the 1893 Just So Tobacco card set. All Just So Tobacco cards which exclusively feature Cleveland Spiders players are exceedingly rare. It has been estimated that fewer than twenty-five examples in total are known in the entire collecting world with fourteen different players represented. The matching images of these cabinets with their Just So counterparts leaves no doubt that these cabinets are the parents of that revered issue.

The rarity of this McKean cabinet is only equaled by its extraordinary condition. Graded EX-MT 6 by PSA it is hard to find a fault worth mentioning. From the crystal clear image to the gold gilt edges of the 4-1/8” by 6-1/2” mount the entire piece demonstrates the highest standards of photographic quality and presentation possible from the era.  LOA from the Jake Virtue Estate.