Circa Early 1900s Baseball Team-Photo Collection (25)

Sold For:

$720

Year:

1910

Auction:

2019 Fall

Lot #:

2076

Category:

Post-1900 Baseball Memorabilia

Collection of 25 vintage photographs, each capturing a different baseball team. While a few of these photos appear to date to the late nineteenth century, most are from the early 1900s. Like most photos of this type, not much is known about the clubs or players pictured, except that nearly all originate from the Pacific Northwest. A number of photos have handwritten team or player identifications on the reverse, but all appear to be town, semi-pro, or school teams. Twenty-three of the photos are affixed to heavy mounts. Among the most interesting scenes included here are a photo picturing a number of players congregating on the field, including an African-American player, a team posing with a trained bear, and a high-school team posing in studio, where one can clearly see a beautiful example of a Spalding "Wagon Tongue" bat in the hands of one of the players. The majority of the photos are in Excellent condition overall, but many of the mounts display significant flaws, including chipping, tears, and light staining. Sizes range from 6.5 x 5.5 inches to 13.75 x 12 inches (including the mounts). Total 25 photographs. Reserve $200. Estimate (open).