Show your Hunt and RMY photo wins

[sphere and ash]

Originally Posted by Forever Young

Can you please share your exact reference for this?

Many years ago, I found an obituary for Thompson that stated directly that he was not a photographer. I can't find it at the moment, but I do see obituaries that state that he was a writer who saw the business opportunity and founded the photo agency a few years after graduating from Yale [Thompson died in 1940]. There is no contemporary source that states that Thompson was a photographer, which would be quite odd for someone whose name was so widely published.

If you look at the T205 images, you'll see that each city has its own distinct look, supporting the conjecture that each city was taken by a different photographer. The Philadelphia A's photographer, for example, has many of his subjects look away from the camera; the New York Giants' photographer has everyone stare directly into the lens.

Bain was trained as a wet plate photographer, but he was no longer a photojournalist by the time the Bain agency was active.

Thanks, bgar3. I've been following your posts about your Red Stocking and early baseball collection. Glad you're back.

[TCMA]

Originally Posted by sphere and ash

Many years ago, I found an obituary for Thompson that stated directly that he was not a photographer.

Here is a link to his New York Times obit:

https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/tim.../113120865.pdf

[PSACJ]

Here are the ones I got at Hunt Auctions. All Charles Conlon’s 8x10’s. Love the Ira Thomas with the Ads on the back!
Also looking for the winner of lots #262 & 493. I’m interested if you want to trade or sell. Andy

[Runscott]

This conversation has certainly gotten me thinking about the early baseball photographers and what we really know about them.

With some of the famous photographers there are stories as well as photos of them taking photos, leaving no doubt;e.g-Charles Conlon, the Frances Burke/George Burke connection, Horner's portraits. I haven't heard stories about Van Oeyen, but his images are consistent than in terms of composition and general feel. Even George Bain photos generally have a typical look and feel;i.e-you see some photos and know they are Bain images, as opposed to the images he pilfered. But as collectors we know he ran a news agency and that a 'Bain' that doesn't look like a Bain probably isn't.

Thompson has groups of photos that appear to be taken by the same photographer;e.g-a lot of his images of players batting or fielding have a Thompson 'look'. The T205 portraits also have a common look, but what struck me when I first saw the large Hunt group was that the portraits didn't look like they were taken by the same guy who did the action shots. Some of that I'm sure is because portraits have different requirements (depth of field, facial expressions) that action shots don't; however, I think Conlons portraits and action shots have more in common.

It wouldn't surprise me to find out that two different photographers did the T205 portraits and the action shots.