Truly one of the important inaugural magazines in American publishing history, the first issue of "Sports Illustrated" from August 16, 1954 offers the added bonus of a spectacular centerfold of 27 cards (front and back) from that year's Topps Baseball card issue.
In a pre-digital and immediate, around the clock sports information world, print media was king and "SI" was a cornerstone in American culture, with photographs and stories that shaped generations of sports fans.
The cover image features young Braves slugger Eddie Mathews in action at Milwaukee County Stadium. The magazine is in super condition, presenting as excellent and a great candidate for authentication and encapsulation.
The center foldout of baseball cards, including the likes of Willie Mays, Ted Williams, Jackie Robinson, Mathews, Duke Snider, Gil Hodges and Larry Doby, to name a few, is nothing short of perfect, absolutely Near-Mint to Mint. There's also an article inside that talks about the hobby itself, more specifically about the wrangling over player contracts between Topps and Bowman!