1953 Bowman Baseball Cards – Color and Black & White Series
Product Details
The 1953 Bowman Baseball card set is considered by many collectors to be one of the most beautiful trading card sets ever produced. Relying solely on full-color photographs, 1953 Bowman Color Baseball marked the first time Bowman utilized this medium in a trading card set.
Bowman also released the lesser-known 1953 Bowman Black & White set the same year.
See also: 1952 Bowman Baseball Cards
1953 Bowman Color Baseball Cards Set Details
Forgoing traditional aspects of card design, the 1953 Bowman Color Baseball fronts lack any writing whatsoever. The unencumbered player image stands alone in vivid color, allowing collectors to examine every detail of the photograph. Measuring 2-1/2" by 3-3/4", this slightly over-sized dimension permits the photography to truly stand out as if each card were a miniature canvas.
At just 160 total cards, 1953 Bowman Color is one of the smallest sets the company ever made and was printed in two separate series. Card numbers #1-112 constitute the first series or "low numbers" and card numbers #113-160 comprise the second series or "high numbers." Set builders will often find that the high number cards are extremely difficult to find with good centering, making the task of building a high-grade set very costly in time and money.
The 1953 Bowman Color checklist is dotted with Hall of Fame players, including popular cards for Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford and Yogi Berra. While certainly not his last baseball card, 1953 served as the final appearance of Stan Musial in a Bowman set. Fittingly, it is considered by vintage collectors to be his best-looking card of all-time.
Although the majority of the cards feature single players, the New York Yankees receive an additional focus in 1953 Bowman Color. An intriguing card combines a trio of Yankees stars with Yogi Berra, Hank Bauer and Mickey Mantle. Teammates Billy Martin and Phil Rizzuto are also paired on another combo card in the set.
1953 Bowman Black & White Baseball Cards Set Details
Interestingly enough, however, Bowman also produced a 64-card set done entirely in black-and-white photography that same year. No explanation is available for the two different and very contrasting sets. It is believed that the 1953 Bowman Black & White cards were originally intended to be a third color series, but Bowman instead decided to reduce costs by printing the cards without color and numbering them #1-64. Supporting that theory, the overall card design is virtually identical except for the lack of color.
While the color set is loaded with household names, the Black & White set consists primarily of lesser-known players. Key Hall of Fame options include Bob Lemon and Casey Stengel. Although not designed or intended to be assembled as a complete set, many treat the entire 1953 Bowman production run as such.
Key Cards
Key 1953 Bowman Baseball Cards to Collect
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Top 1953 Bowman Color Series Baseball Cards
#59 Mickey Mantle
#153 Whitey Ford
#121 Yogi Berra
#117 Duke Snider
#32 Stan Musial
#44 Yogi Berra, Hank Bauer, Mickey Mantle
#33 Pee Wee Reese
Top 1953 Bowman Black & White Series Baseball Cards
#39 Casey Stengel
#27 Bob Lemon
#15 Johnny Mize
#28 Hoyt Wilhelm
#46 Bucky Harris
Set Checklist
1953 Bowman Baseball Set Checklist
1953 Bowman Color Baseball Set Checklist
2 Vic Wertz - St. Louis Browns
3 Sam Jethroe - Boston Braves
4 Art Houtteman - Detroit Tigers
5 Sid Gordon - Boston Braves
6 Joe Ginsberg - Detroit Tigers
7 Harry Chiti - Chicago Cubs RC
8 Al Rosen - Cleveland Indians
9 Phil Rizzuto - New York Yankees
10 Richie Ashburn - Philadelphia Phillies
11 Bobby Shantz - Philadelphia Athletics
12 Carl Erskine - Brooklyn Dodgers
13 Gus Zernial - Philadelphia Athletics
14 Billy Loes - Brooklyn Dodgers
15 Jim Busby - Washington Senators
16 Bob Friend - Pittsburgh Pirates
17 Jerry Staley - St. Louis Cardinals
18 Nellie Fox - Chicago White Sox
19 Al Dark - New York Giants
20 Don Lenhardt - St. Louis Browns
21 Joe Garagiola - Pittsburgh Pirates
22 Bob Porterfield - Washington Senators
23 Herm Wehmeier - Cincinnati Reds
24 Jackie Jensen - Washington Senators
25 Hoot Evers - Boston Red Sox
26 Roy McMillan - Cincinnati Reds
27 Vic Raschi - New York Yankees
28 Smoky Burgess - Philadelphia Phillies
29 Bobby Avila - Cleveland Indians
30 Phil Cavarretta - Chicago Cubs
31 Jimmie Dykes - Philadelphia Athletics
32 Stan Musial - St. Louis Cardinals
33 Pee Wee Reese - Brooklyn Dodgers
34 Gil Coan - Washington Senators
35 Maury McDermott - Boston Red Sox
36 Minnie Minoso - Chicago White Sox
37 Jim Wilson - Boston Braves
38 Harry Byrd - Philadelphia Athletics RC
39 Paul Richards - Chicago White Sox
40 Larry Doby - Cleveland Indians
41 Sammy White - Boston Red Sox
42 Tommy Brown - Chicago Cubs
43 Mike Garcia - Cleveland Indians
44 Yogi Berra/Hank Bauer/Mickey Mantle - Yankees
45 Walt Dropo - Detroit Tigers
46 Roy Campanella - Brooklyn Dodgers
47 Ned Garver - Detroit Tigers
48 Hank Sauer - Chicago Cubs
49 Eddie Stanky - St. Louis Cardinals
50 Lou Kretlow - Chicago White Sox
51 Monte Irvin - New York Giants
52 Marty Marion - St. Louis Browns
53 Del Rice - St. Louis Cardinals
54 Chico Carrasquel - Chicago White Sox
55 Leo Durocher - New York Giants
56 Bob Cain - St. Louis Browns
57 Lou Boudreau - Boston Red Sox
58 Willard Marshall - Cincinnati Reds
59 Mickey Mantle - New York Yankees
60 Granny Hamner - Philadelphia Phillies
61 George Kell - Boston Red Sox
62 Ted Kluszewski - Cincinnati Reds
63 Gil McDougald - New York Yankees
64 Curt Simmons - Philadelphia Phillies
65 Robin Roberts - Philadelphia Phillies
66 Mel Parnell - Boston Red Sox
67 Mel Clark - Philadelphia Phillies RC
68 Allie Reynolds - New York Yankees
69 Charlie Grimm - Milwaukee Braves
70 Clint Courtney - St. Louis Browns RC
71 Paul Minner - Chicago Cubs
72 Ted Gray - Detroit Tigers
73 Billy Pierce - Chicago White Sox
74 Don Mueller - New York Giants
75 Saul Rogovin - Chicago White Sox
76 Jim Hearn - New York Giants
77 Mickey Grasso - Washington Senators
78 Carl Furillo - Brooklyn Dodgers
79 Ray Boone - Cleveland Indians
80 Ralph Kiner - Pittsburgh Pirates
82 Joe Astroth - Philadelphia Athletics
83 Jack Daniels - Milwaukee Braves RC
84 Hank Bauer - New York Yankees
85 Solly Hemus - St. Louis Cardinals
86 Harry Simpson - Cleveland Indians
87 Harry Perkowski - Cincinnati Reds
88 Joe Dobson - Chicago White Sox
89 Sandy Consuegra - Washington Senators
90 Joe Nuxhall - Cincinnati Reds
91 Steve Souchock - Detroit Tigers
92 Gil Hodges - Brooklyn Dodgers
93 Billy Martin / Phil Rizzuto - New York Yankees
94 Bob Addis - Chicago Cubs
95 Wally Moses - Philadelphia Athletics
96 Sal Maglie - New York Giants
97 Eddie Mathews - Milwaukee Braves
98 Hector Rodriguez - Chicago White Sox RC
99 Warren Spahn - Milwaukee Braves
100 Bill Wight - Detroit Tigers
101 Red Schoendienst - St. Louis Cardinals
102 Jim Hegan - Cleveland Indians
103 Del Ennis - Philadelphia Phillies
104 Luke Easter - Cleveland Indians
105 Eddie Joost - Philadelphia Athletics
106 Ken Raffensberger - Cincinnati Reds
107 Alex Kellner - Philadelphia Athletics
108 Bobby Adams - Cincinnati Reds
109 Ken Wood - Washington Senators
110 Bob Rush - Chicago Cubs
111 Jim Dyck - St. Louis Browns RC
112 Toby Atwell - Chicago Cubs
113 Karl Drews - Philadelphia Phillies
114 Bob Feller - Cleveland Indians
115 Cloyd Boyer - St. Louis Cardinals
116 Eddie Yost - Washington Senators
117 Duke Snider - Brooklyn Dodgers
118 Billy Martin - New York Yankees
119 Dale Mitchell - Cleveland Indians
120 Marlin Stuart - St. Louis Browns
121 Yogi Berra - New York Yankees
122 Bill Serena - Chicago Cubs
123 Johnny Lipon - Boston Red Sox
124 Chuck Dressen - Brooklyn Dodgers
125 Fred Hatfield - Detroit Tigers
126 Al Corwin - New York Giants
127 Dick Kryhoski - St. Louis Browns
128 Whitey Lockman - New York Giants
129 Russ Meyer - Brooklyn Dodgers
130 Cass Michaels - Philadelphia Athletics
131 Connie Ryan - Philadelphia Phillies
132 Fred Hutchinson - Detroit Tigers
133 Willie Jones - Philadelphia Phillies
134 Johnny Pesky - Detroit Tigers
135 Bobby Morgan - Brooklyn Dodgers
136 Jim Brideweser - New York Yankees RC
137 Sam Dente - Chicago White Sox
138 Bubba Church - Cincinnati Reds
139 Pete Runnels - Washington Senators
140 Al Brazle - St. Louis Cardinals
141 Spec Shea - Washington Senators
142 Larry Miggins - St. Louis Cardinals RC
143 Al Lopez - Cleveland Indians
144 Warren Hacker - Chicago Cubs
145 George Shuba - Brooklyn Dodgers
146 Early Wynn - Cleveland Indians
147 Clem Koshorek - Pittsburgh Pirates
148 Billy Goodman - Boston Red Sox
149 Al Corwin - New York Giants
150 Carl Scheib - Philadelphia Athletics
151 Joe Adcock - Milwaukee Braves
152 Clyde Vollmer - Washington Senators
153 Whitey Ford - New York Yankees
154 Turk Lown - Chicago Cubs
155 Allie Clark - Philadelphia Athletics
156 Max Surkont - Milwaukee Braves
157 Sherm Lollar - Chicago White Sox
158 Howie Fox - Philadelphia Phillies
159 Mickey Vernon - Washington Senators
160 Cal Abrams - Pittsburgh Pirates
1953 Bowman Black & White Baseball Set Checklist
2 Willard Nixon - Boston Red Sox
3 Bill Rigney - New York Giants
4 Pat Mullin - Detroit Tigers
5 Dee Fondy - Chicago Cubs
6 Ray Murray - Philadelphia Athletics
7 Andy Seminick - Cincinnati Reds
8 Pete Suder - Philadelphia Athletics
9 Walt Masterson - Washington Senators
10 Dick Sisler - St. Louis Cardinals
11 Dick Gernert - Boston Red Sox
12 Randy Jackson - Chicago Cubs
13 Joe Tipton - Cleveland Indians
14 Bill Nicholson - Philadelphia Phillies
15 Johnny Mize - New York Yankees
16 Stu Miller - St. Louis Cardinals RC
17 Virgil Trucks - St. Louis Browns
18 Billy Hoeft - Detroit Tigers
19 Paul LaPalme - Pittsburgh Pirates
20 Eddie Robinson - Philadelphia Athletics
21 Bud Podbielan - Cincinnati Reds
22 Matt Batts - Detroit Tigers
23 Wilmer Mizell - St. Louis Cardinals
24 Del Wilber - Boston Red Sox
25 Johnny Sain - New York Yankees
26 Preacher Roe - Brooklyn Dodgers
27 Bob Lemon - Cleveland Indians
28 Hoyt Wilhelm - New York Giants
29 Sid Hudson - Boston Red Sox
30 Walker Cooper - Milwaukee Braves
31 Gene Woodling - New York Yankees
32 Rocky Bridges - Cincinnati Reds
34 Ebba St. Claire - Milwaukee Braves
35 Johnny Wyrostek - Philadelphia Phillies
36 Jim Piersall - Boston Red Sox
37 Hal Jeffcoat - Chicago Cubs
38 Dave Cole - Milwaukee Braves
39 Casey Stengel - New York Yankees
40 Larry Jansen - New York Giants
41 Bob Ramazzotti - Chicago Cubs
42 Howie Judson - Cincinnati Reds
43 Hal Bevan - Philadelphia Athletics RC
44 Jim Delsing - Detroit Tigers
45 Irv Noren - New York Yankees
46 Bucky Harris - Washington Senators
47 Jack Lohrke - Philadelphia Phillies
48 Steve Ridzik - Philadelphia Phillies RC
49 Floyd Baker - Boston Red Sox
50 Dutch Leonard - Chicago Cubs
51 Lew Burdette - Milwaukee Braves
52 Ralph Branca - Brooklyn Dodgers
53 Morrie Martin - Philadelphia Athletics
54 Bill Miller - New York Yankees
55 Don Johnson - Washington Senators
56 Roy Smalley - Chicago Cubs
57 Andy Pafko - Milwaukee Braves
58 Jim Konstanty - Philadelphia Phillies
59 Duane Pillette - St. Louis Browns
60 Billy Cox - Brooklyn Dodgers
61 Tom Gorman - New York Yankees RC
62 Keith M. Thomas - Philadelphia Athletics RC
63 Steve Gromek - Cleveland Indians
64 Andy Hansen - Philadelphia Phillies
1953 Bowman Black & White Variations Set Checklist
Hot Auctions
Hottest 1953 Bowman Baseball Cards Auction List
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William Gregory
Perhaps the most beautiful of all post World War II sets, the Bowman color series of 1953 features breathtaking photography of the men that played the game wearing the classic flannel uniforms of the day, with those grand old ballparks serving as backdrops.
The design is simple, with no player or team names detracting from the presentation. Just glorious snapshots of a bygone era.