1869 Cincinnati images
I have no real opinion on defining the first baseball card, but I think I can supply some information on the Peck and Snyder image, and other photos of the 1869 team.
As noted as part of a prior thread, the image used on the Peck and Snyder card is likely the first image of a professional baseball team, taken between June 16 and 18, (most likely the 18th), by Huff, a Newark NJ photographer. The team image was used and identified as by Huff in the July3, 1869 Harper's (woodcut), and the player heads from the image were used as woodcuts in the July 17, Leslie's. The next team photos were most likely Brady, Washington DC taken between June 25 and 28, and the Hoag composite in suits taken on July 1. (Rhodes and Eradi, The First Boys of Summer is especially helpful in making this timeline.)
Of possibly greater interest is the existence of at least 2 cdv's of players in Cincinnati uniforms. Barry Sloate's article inThe July/August 1996 issue of Vintage classic Baseball Collector has an illus
tration of Harry Wright taken by Broadhurst of Philadelphia and I have seen one of Allison by the same photographer. These could be the first "cards" of professional players in uniform.(this could be from 1869 or 1870)
I am not sure what Red Stocking photo Gary is referring to, sorry.
|