Here we have an Australian Footballer, simply described as "A. Wood - Centre Wing - South Melbourne".
A little research fleshes this out, and discovers that his full name was Arthur Charles Wood, born on the 24th of June 1898. He was only five foot four inches tall, but nippy, and hard to tackle. He started with South Melbourne in 1917, and later coached them too, though at the time he was only in his mid twenties. About the time that our card was issued he was also captain-coach of Maryborough, which joined the Ballarat Football League in 1924 and surprised everyone by winning not only that year but the next year too.
He died, aged 60, in 1959.
This is one of my favourite sets, simply for its amazing colour. Hard to believe that it is a hundred years old this year, and still as fresh as ever.
It first appears in our original "Australasian Miscellaneous Booklet" (RB.20, issued in 1951) as part of a much larger grouping of four sets all known as Australian Footballers though none are titled.
The heading says :
48. J.J. SCHUH`S ISSUES. The firm of J.J. Schuh, Pty., Ltd., was pushing sales of its "Magpie" Cigarettes during World War I, and was one of the chief competitors of Sniders & Abrahams. Card issues run from about 1920 to 1925. The firm was taken over by G.G. Goode in 1926. One card from each of the series known is illustrated at Fig.48
This picture, or at least the three footballer cards is on the scanning list. It is actually on the next page in the booklet but it will be inserted in here. The text continues :
48.1. Australian Footballers (adopted title). Three series are known, two of which deal exclusively with players in the Victorian League, and one with players from this League and from the South Australian League.
Series A. Size 67 x 40 m/m. Fronts per Fig 48-1.A in colour, three-quarter to full length portraits. Backs in black, with name of player and position in team. Issued about 1922. Unnumbered series of 60. Victorian League players -
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Series B. Size 66 x 40 m/m. Fronts per Fig.48-B in colour, head and neck studies in rays of Club Colours, captions at left base. Backs in black, with name of player and position in team. Issued about 1923. Numbered set of 40, Victorian League players,
Series C. Size 67 x 59 m/m. Fronts per Fig.48-C in colour, head and neck studies, in oval vignettes, with yellow surround. Player`s name at base, below vignette. Brown "Magpie" back, with name of player and position in team. Unnumbered series, in two groups as follows -
space left for this list as well.
The series was probably issued in 1924, the year when Footscray, Hawthorne and North Melbourne were admitted to the Victorian League.