One of three national baseball card sets issued during 1941, before World War II halted most baseball card production for several years, the 1941 Double Play set was unusual in that its cards featured two players instead of one. The cards were produced by Gum Products, Inc.of Massachusetts, which was a different company than Philadelphia-based Gum, Inc; however, the similarity in names has caused confusion in the hobby. 150 player pictures (but only 110 different players) are represented on 75 panels.
The full cards measure 2 1/2″ by 3 1/8″. Fronts feature sepia-toned black and white photos of two different players from the same team, against a white background that also serves as the border. Below each picture is a short biography and statistical information, as well as the card number (each player has his own individual number). The cards are blank-backed.
Most cards are arranged horizontally, like the example card featured above. Cards numbered 81 through 100 feature action shots of the players and are vertically oriented, appearing tall and thin. All players featured in action photos are also found with portrait variations.
Most of the stars of the era can be found in this set, but there are quite a few lesser-known players featured as well. Since production of baseball cards was essentially halted through the Second World War, a large number of major leaguers never had the chance to appear on a baseball card; some who played just before the war managed to get on one card, which can be found in this set. A lot of team collectors focus on this issue as a result. Also noteworthy
