Need help with old tintype- for Angela

[steve B]

I'm hardly an expert either. I happened to read a little about them last night so they were fresh in my mind when I saw the pic. Amateur team makes sense, especially with the mix of uniforms

steve B

[ctownboy]

I am not even CLOSE to being an expert but from the looks of these guys, could it be a college or fraternity team of some sort? Maybe an amateur team from an upper class area of the country?

Why I say this is because, from most of the tin types of groups of ball players I have seen from back then, most of the guys are rough and scruffy. But these guys look well coifed and clothed. For the most part, their hair is neat and styled, a few are wearing neckerchiefs and their boots look like riding boots and not just work boots.

Of course, I might be totally wrong (definitely NOT the first that has happened).

David

Oops, upon closer inspection, it looks like they are NOT wearing boots but nice dress shoes from that time period.

[packs]

I'm wondering if these guys are even really baseball players. It looks like the picture was taken in a studio and since all the uniforms are different, or at least most of them, and that the equipment looks fairly pristine from what you can see, it's possible that this is just a group of guys who put on all the baseball gear the photographer had. None of their uniforms, which are white, are even slightly dirty.

Just my opinion. If Einstein can't figure it out what hope do I have.

[slidekellyslide]

This is definitely a real baseball team and not just some guys who dressed up for a studio photo....It was not unusual for a town team to have guys wearing different uniforms...relatively speaking clothes were expensive in the 1870s-80s and purchasing a uniform that was only good for playing baseball was not practical for some. The very well dressed fella with the bib uniform probably did double duty with a team that was better funded or perhaps he played college ball too?

[packs]

It could very well be a town team. I'm just skeptical because all the men seem to be so well manicured like another poster pointed out. Some of the men are wearing uniforms and others just clothes. If it was an issue with expense, if you think about it, wearing your clothes to play baseball would be a risk. And these are nice clothes, not rags to play ball in. Maybe they are some sort of all star team, but I would think that it would be even more unsual for an African American player to be chosen for an all star team than just a town team. But hey, who knows.

[slidekellyslide]

They were going to the studio to get their picture taken...I'm guessing in 1880 just like today if you're going to get your picture taken you wear clean clothes and take a bath.

[Rob D.]

Originally Posted by slidekellyslide

They were going to the studio to get their picture taken...I'm guessing in 1880 just like today if you're going to get your picture taken you wear clean clothes and take a bath.

Uh oh. Now I know why the folks at the Sears portrait studio always give us weird looks.