photo id help (early female ball player)

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Posted By: jamie

Picked up this early image of a female ball player- I think this dates to the early 1900's (long before the AAGPBL) which makes the formal uniform a bit strange. Am I off on the date? Does anyone recognize the insignia?

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Posted By: barrysloate

Although I can't help much, the insignia appears almost certainly a "D" and it looks later than early 1900's- I would guess circa 1940, give or take. Sorry I don't know more about it.

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Posted By: Daniel Bretta

It is most certainly earlier than 1940 because of the uniform style and the photo type...I would guess it's more like circa 1910. I doubt you will ever find definitive proof of who or what team this woman played for. Looks like a Detroit uniform, but that style of "D" was common for many minor league, and town teams.

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Posted By: barrysloate

There is something about the photo tones and the style of the woman's hair that doesn't look 1910 era to me. How about we compromise and say around 1930? Although I will agree the "D" looks exactly identical to the "D" you would find on say a T206 Cobb.

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Posted By: jamie

i should have stated this earlier- what i have is actually a glass negative (with more of a brown coloring). the image you're looking at is a digital rendition so you can see what the actual picture is.


my assessment of the date was based on the uniform style but i could be wrong- in fact im wrong much more than im write so it would be a good bet.

ive seen similar styles of logos as the one in the picture for many minor league teams in the 1915-1925 era in my spalding guides so it's not much of a clue on locale. my thinking was that it would have been easier to identify an early organized women's league but i cant seem to find much pre aagbpl stuff

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Posted By: fkw

I think its just a lady wearing a uniform, I dont think she played ball. why no glove, bat, or ball and the shoes sure dont fit. A lady wearing an old 1910 era uniform and posing. I think photo is from the 1910 era as the wallpaper, floor, shoes, etc. look like that era (or earlier).

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Posted By: jamie

the shoes arent that unusual. heres an 1890's female ballplayer:

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Posted By: davidcycleback

I saw carefully dated/catalogued pictures in a State Historical Society with women playing baseball in very similar uniforms as the first picture. The photos were from the 1920s.