1917 Kromo Gravure Movie Cards
3 Type Variations - 5 Complete Checklists
These cards have become a subject of some confusion. What is shown below are the variations for three different types of cards, two of which were definitely issued by the Kromo Gravure Photo Company out of Detroit, MI and the third which I have a strong suspicion was issued by this same company as well. All cards date to approximately 1917, which was the date chosen after researching many of the stars on the IMDB and comparing dates of death, dates careers began and dates careers ended and then intersecting all of these dates. 1917 turned out to be the most reasonable choice.
NOTE: Beneath this opening text is a table showing examples of images from different Kromo Gravure sets, this is followed by some more text and finally a 5-column chart that is a checklist in progress for all 5 Kromo Gravure sets.
The chart below starts with an image of a card from the first Kromo Gravure set I happened upon. These cards were issued in three sets of 50 cards each. Each case (as depicted) was labeled either Set No. 1, Set No. 2, or Set No. 3. These are pretty standard looking cards with white borders surrounding black and white photos. These cards measure approximately 2-1/8" X 3-7/16".
The second row of images are from a different set, which as you can see quite often uses the exact same images used in the 1917 Kromo Gravure 1,2,3 sets. I have acquired these on at least three occasions, but never with the box or case they were issued in, if in fact they were issued in one. These also measure 2-1/8" X 3-7/16", however the difference is the rounded corners on the inside edges of the white borders. I have taken to referring to these as 1917 Kromo Gravure Rounded Borders for lack of a better name.
Finally in the last row we have a group of cards I recently stumbled upon. These also came in a Kromo Gravure box, but without any marking identifying it as set 1, 2 or 3. I also noticed several different poses and players included in the set. There are fifty cards, black and white photos, no borders. They measure slightly smaller at 1-15/16" X 3-5/16", and at first I thought they may be trimmed, however the edges are so clean that to trim them would have taken quite a bit of work for very little reward. Also, the first two examples below will show different poses for all three sets so if they were trimmed the next question would be, from what? I do not think they are, I strongly believe that they were issued borderless. Thus, these will be referred to as 1917 Kromo Gravure No Borders.
Since they were apparently very popular I was almost positive that I would be able to locate more information on these in my copy of the American Card Catalog by Jefferson Burdick. However, Burdick does not mention any issue that specifically fits the bill for these. The closest he comes is for W623 which is a very general listing under the catalog heading Trading or Strip Cards: General Issues. That listing is as follows:
"W623--Movie Stars, souvenir sets, various issuers and size, average..... .10 (1960 value!)
Burdick also notes, under the Trading or Strip Cards heading: "In general the distinction between the W500 Trading Cards and W600 General Issues lies in that the latter are larger and often are on paper. The General Issues were sold more as pictures and the Trading Cards as cards. This distinction is rather fine and some could fall in either group. Also, the W600 group is generally labeled better and can be identified more easily." (ACC, p185, 1960 ed.).
Our Kromo Gravures were identified by the boxes which sets were distributed in, but had blank banks. They were issued on card stock and not paper, but I believe that they were certainly intended more as "pictures" than as "cards". The boxes themselves refer to their contents as "Photos". So if you ask me, Kromo Gravures are in fact Burdick's W623 listing. If anyone has any information that would help either prove or disprove this please do write me.
Update February 2005: I just happened upon a large lot of cards which could quite possibly be another Kromo Gravure set, however one issued slightly earlier than the sets on this page were. Go HERE to learn about these cards.
Following the photo examples are examples of the boxes that two of these three similar issues were received in as well as working checklists for all three.
Notes |
1,2,3 |
Rounded Borders |
No Borders |
Mary Pickford - An example where all three poses are different. |
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William Farnum -- The only other example I have noted so far where all 3 poses are different. |
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Gertrude McCoy -- Here is the first of two examples I have found where all three sets present the same photo pose. |
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Kitty Gordon -- All three poses are the same. |
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Mary Miles Minter -- Here's an oddity. Two different poses of Minter from the 1,2,3 sets. I can only assume that she appeared in two of the three sets, unfortunately I did not record this information at the time. The cards from the Rounded and No Borders sets are the same, but different from both of the 1,2,3 poses. |
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Blanche Sweet -- The Rounded and No Border cards are the same pose, while the 1,2,3 pose is different. Technically the Minter cards above fall into this classification as well. |
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Charles Chaplin -- Rounded and No Borders match, 1,2,3 uses different pose. Same as above, and all following examples are like this as well. This is the most common variation. |
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Mrs. Vernon Castle |
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At left are boxes containing sets 1 and 2 from the Kromo 1,2,3 sets. At right is the box containing the No Border Kromo Cards |
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CHECKLISTS:
Thank you: to Diana Savage who has helped with corrections to this list with notes from her own collection and reports when she purchases new sets.
NOTE: For cards from the 1,2,3 sets I have split the single list into three separate at Diana's suggestion. Each set is a 50-card set, though as Diana notes there must be variations within the sets--if you scroll down to the bottom of the list you'll see each of the 1,2,3 lists is a different length.
When I started these lists I used a couple of Set 1's which I had received in their original boxes along with a Set 3 I had picked up along the way. Diana has recently added her own Set 3 to this list, which was quite a bit different than mine. I haven't purchased a Set 2 since I originally composed this list, so cards listed under the Set 2 headings are basically leftovers--cards which were in neither Diana or my own Sets 1's & 3's.
To add further confusion to the cards in the Boxed 1,2,3 sets, we have both noticed that they are sometimes printed on different stock. I have also come across these cards with theatre ads stamped/printed on the usually blank reverse.
All of this variation leads me to believe that they were mass produced over the years in the latter-1910's, probably stocked on five and dime shelves and offered as premium items at theatres. They seem to have been quite popular probably because of both a general trading card boom (very popular baseball tobacco sets were issued earlier in this same decade; T205, T206 etc.) and the explosion of the star system in the movie world.
Last Update: June 24, 2008.
* Second pose in this style noted. Likely in two of
the different boxed sets.
** Go here to see 50 images from
a recent "No Borders" set.
Box No. 1Adele de Garde |
Box No. 2
Alla Nazimova |
Box No. 3Albert Ray |
Rounded BorderAgnes Ayres |
No BordersAdele de Garde |
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