1897 Elmer Chickering Boston Beaneaters National League Champions Imperial Team Cabinet Photograph with Selee, Duffy, Nichols, Hamilton, and Collins

Sold For:

$3,240

Year:

1897

Auction:

2025 Spring

Lot #:

118

Category:

Pre-1900 Baseball Cards (1830-1899)

Rare imperial cabinet photograph capturing the 1897 National League Champion Boston Beaneaters in a classic team pose produced by extremely prominent Boston studio photographer Elmer Chickering. Chickering was responsible for virtually all quality images of the Boston Nationals in the 1890s. Seventeen team members are pictured here, including manager Frank Selee, who is nattily attired in a suit, Hugh Duffy, Kid Nichols, Billy Hamilton, Jimmy Collins, Bobby Lowe, Fred Tenney, Marty Bergen, Chick Stahl, Herman Long, Ted Lewis, and Jack Stivetts. The copyright notice, "Photo by E. Chickering," appears in tiny white lettering near the lower right edge. A second credit stamp ("Copyright by F. G. Selee and F. O. Woodruff '97"), also in white lettering, appears near the players sitting in the front row. The reverse of the mount features the proprietary stamp of noted Boston photographer Elmer Chickering. The Boston Beaneaters narrowly defeated the Baltimore Orioles by two games to capture the National League pennant in 1897. The Beaneaters roster boasts four future Hall of Famers (Duffy, Hamilton, Nichols, and Collins) as well as a number of star players (Bobby Lowe was the first player to hit four home runs in one game). Imperial team photographs from the 1880s, of course, are extremely rare, but those dating from the 1890s are even scarcer, almost to the point of being nonexistent. We do not recall ever offering another example of this rare cabinet team photograph. The photo remains in Excellent condition, while the mount (13-1/2 x 10-1/2 inches), which has been trimmed down in size, has light toning and number of discolorations.