The Harlem Globetrotters

195O LAVAZAA AVVENEMENTI SPORTIVI #2 HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS (ITALY)

There were only 6 cards in the 1950 Lavazaa Avvenementi Sportivi set, one of which featured the Harlem Globetrotters. The player depicted is unknown and ​is missing the "H" from Harlem on his jersey.

Measurements: 2.75" x 4.25"

1950

JUNE 3RD, 1950 HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS GAME TICKET AT THE PALAIS DES SPORTS

Harlem Globetrotters Game Ticket from their very first International tour. The game took place at the Palais Des Sports in Paris on June 3rd, 1950. In May 1950, the European journey began in Portugal and continued in six other countries (France, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, FRG, and Great Britain); the 73 matches played in a little over two months drew tens of thousands of spectators. The tour was so successful that it drew the attention of the State Department, which decided to make the Harlem Globetrotters one of its key actors in the cultural Cold War underway at the time.

circa 1950 ORIGINAL 8X10 PHOTOGRAPH OF THE HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS

The back only reads "T-4" "15" "Basketball", so the date and provenance is unknown. I approximate 1950, given the players shown and uniform style. Notable players pictured are Marques Haynes and Goose Tatum. I'm not sure what Type # photo this would be considered.

1951 ALBOSPORT EDITRICE DIDASCO PALLACANESTRO CARDS (ITALY)

1951

There was a massive 675 cards in the Didasco set and they featured a variety of popular sports at the time. There were 15 total basketball cards, the majority of which showing Italian matches vs. other world teams. Due to the teams involved in the matches, these cards have been determined to feature the 1948 Olympic games in London. The Albosport album has many cards that highlight the 1948 games and the Olympics symbol is featured on the cover. There are also 3 cards that feature the Harlem Globetrotters. Two of them are of the team and one is a solo card for one-armed Globetrotter, Boyd Buie, which I believe is the only card ever featuring him as a player. Measurements: 1.25" x 1.5"

1952 CHOCOLAT L'AIGLON BASKETBALL CARDS (BELGIUM)

There are 3 basketball cards in the 50 card Chocolat L'Aiglon set, the remaining all featuring other sports. Card #48 features Goose Tatum of the Harlem Globe-Trotters. Many consider this (or his 1952 Figuritas Lali) his rookie card. These were produced with an accompanying album, so many examples have residue on the back.

Measurements: 5.25" x 3.375"

1952

1952 FIGURITAS LALI DISCS (ARGENTINA)

The Figuritas Lali disc cards featured a variety of sports including basketball. The basketball discs included 10 players of the Harlem Globetrotters, who made their first trip to Argentina in May of 1952 during their first world tour. Notable players like Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton, Reece "Goose" Tatum and Marques Haynes were included, and many consider these disc cards as their "rookie" cards. The other basketball discs were of Argentinian players, of which there were at least 12 featured.

Measurements: 1.75" in diameter

Noted Harlem Globetrotters on pictured here on their first World Tour include Marques Haynes, Reece "Goose" Tatum & Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton.

The Harlem Globetrotters visited Argentina on their first World Tour in 1952. They played the New York Celtics at Luna Park but also played at least one local Argentinian team (pictured here with names on the reverse)

1952 TYPE 1 PHOTOGRAPH OF THE HARLEM GLOBE TROTTERS WITH AN ARGENTINIAN BASKETBALL TEAM AT LUNA PARK IN ARGENTINA

Although the Harlem Globetrotters started their International (European) tours in 1950, their first World tour was in 1952, on their 25th anniversary, where they visited 44 countries in 168 days. The team was considered ambassadors of extraordinary goodwill for America and garnered attention from the US State Department, which saw the Globetrotters as a tool to promote the American way of life during the Cold War. Notable players on the team included Marques Haynes, Goose Tatum & Nat Clifton. This ticket is from their historic stop in Argentina, where they played against The New York Celtics, a team that toured with the Globetrotters for the World Exhibition games. They would often play games with local teams as well.

HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS VS NEW YORK CELTICS TICKET FROM MAY 27TH, 1952 AT LUNA PARK IN ARGENTINA

1953 EDITORIAL FHER SPORT MAGICO #63 HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS (SPAIN)

The Fher Magico Cards were 3-D, meant to give a dimensional effect when looked at with blue and red 3-D glasses. There were 128 cards in the set featuring various sports. The Harlem Globetrotters card (#63) is the only basketball card.

Measurements: 2.5" x 3"

1953

1954 SPETTACOLI SPORTIVI (SPORTS SHOWS) ORIGINAL BARBER’S POCKET CALENDAR FEATURING A HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS CARD

Calendari da barbiere (barber calendars) were distributed in Italian barbershops from the turn of the century until the 1960s. The cards in this calendar are standard trading card in size (2.5” x 3.5”) and feature a few months of the year with each day featuring a unique name, I’m unsure what this is for.

1954

1954 QUAKER SPORTS & ODDITIES BY JIMMY EVANS CARDS #23 HARLEM GLOBE TROTTERS (U.S.A.)

The Sports Oddities were distributed in boxes of Quaker Cereal and the entire set consisted of 27 cards. There were a total of 4 basketball cards in the set. This may be the only vintage card to feature Globetrotters founder and owner, Abe Saperstein. These cards took a Ripley's Believe it or Not approach with their odd but true stories on the back of the cards.

Measurements: 3.5" x 2.25"

1955 HARLEM MAGICIANS SOUVENIR PROGRAM, 1st FEATURING GOOSE TATUM & MARQUES HAYNES TOGETHER

Marques Haynes left The Harlem Globetrotters in 1953, due to salary disputes with Abe Saperstein. Haynes then founded his own basketball barnstorming team, The Fabulous Harlem Magicians, shortly thereafter. Other Globetrotters also joined his effort, most notably Goose Tatum. Their games included many of their classic comedy bits and they were a popular touring act for years but started losing popularity in the early 1960s and Tatum leaving to join other barnstorming franchises. This is the first Harlem Magicians program I've found that features both players. It includes their lineup for 1955, including the infamous one armed phenom, Boid Buie. There is also an article expaining Haynes motivations for leaving the Globetrotters and starting the Magicians.

1955

The 1956 Ferca Album Para Cromos featured many different sports and athletes and consisted of 147 cards. I've only been able to track down an image of the album cover, but no interior photos or checklist, so I'm not sure how many basketball cards are in the set. Shown here are two basketball cards, one notably featuring the Harlem Globetrotters. i have not been able to determine who the player in the forefront is. I obtained these by opening original packs of the cards, which only consisted of two cards per pack.

Measurements: 1.375" x 3"

1956 FERCA DEPORTES COLECCIÓN DE 147 CROMOS, ALBUM PARA CROMOS #94 HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS (SPAIN)

1956

1957 PRE ORDER TICKET STUB FOR THE HARLEM GLOBE TROTTERS VS. THE UNITED STATES ALL STARS AT THE SPORTS PALACE IN PARIS, MAY 1957 (NAT HOLMAN PICTURED)

1957

The Anglo American chewing gum company wrapped their sticks of gum with colorful comics that depicted all types of fun facts and images, including sports. The general topic would be part of a numbered set, probably a marketing ploy encouraging people to chew more gum in order to obtain them all. The "Sports Gallery" set included 1 basketball wrapper, #23, that featured the Harlem Globetrotters. I have seen dates for this wrapper vary but the majority of examples are listed as 1957 or 1958.

Measurements: 2.125" x 2.625"

1957-58 ANGLO AMERICAN CHEWING GUM WRAPPER BELL BOY SERIES OF 48, SPORTS GALLERY #23 HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS (U.K.)

1958

The Heinerle set consisted of sports teams and stars including Pele and Sugar Ray Robinson. The 2 basketball cards featured the Harlem Globetrotters, one with Curly Neal, the other with Meadowlark Lemon. These cards were both likely released in 1959, although both 1958 and 1960-61 have been used by SGC grading.

Measurements: 2.5" x 3.5"

1959 HEINERLE DIE KLEINE REGELECK BASKETBALL HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS CARDS (GERMANY)

1959

1959 FRENCH HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS GAME PROGRAM FEATURING WILT CHAMBERLAIN LISTED AS A PLAYER

FEBRUARY 17TH, 1959 HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS GAME TICKET AT THE WHITE CITY TENNIS COURTS IN SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

The year of this ticket has been established by a mention of the game at White City in the February 17th, 1959, edition of The Sydney Morning Herald. There is a mystery, however, that I have yet to solve regarding this ticket. Wilt Chamberlain famously played on the Globetrotters 1958-59 World Tour. I initially assumed that he played all games on the tour, but I can’t find any confirmation of him playing with the team in Australia or New Zealand in early 1959. The only mentions of their time there refers to the team in general, not the individual players. I know Wilt was drafted into the NBA on March 31st, 1959, so there is a possibility that he could have still been with the Globetrotters about 45 days prior. Hopefully I will find out the answer one day.