1887 Syracuse Trade Card Help

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Posted By: Rhys

I just recently picked up this 1887 Syracuse Stars Team Cabinet/Tradecard. It is interesting because it pictures one of professional baseball's first Black Stars named Robert Higgins. The question I have is that this says at the bottom that it is "Manufactured Expressely for GEO G. CAMPBELL, 78 E. Genesee St. Syracuse N.Y." I have been trying to do some research because if Campbell was just a photographer than this is just an 1887 Team Photo. If Campbell was a merchant of some kind and this was made for him to promote his business or sell, than it is a baseball card. If that was the case, this would be the first baseball card picturing a Black player. I have tried to do some searches of census reports and have not been able to find the information I have been looking for. Does anyone on this forum have access to the databases that could tell me who George G. Campbell of Syracuse New York was? Thanks in advance for anyone who can find this info and I will gladly compensate you for your time if needed, or if anyone can tell me how to find the info myself it would be appreciated.

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

George Campbell (no middle initial)

Born "About 1854"

In the 1880 census, there was only one such person listed in Syracuse... and he lists his prefession as a:

"Comm. Agent" (commerical agent?)


There is no 1890 census that I can find.


In the 1900 census, he is listed again (with his sons) as living in Syracuse... and he lists his profession as a:

"Teamster"


Don't know what this says about him... but these are the only census records that exist.

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

JUST FOUND IT!!! YOU OWE ME ONE!!!



1887-1890 Syracuse City Directory:

George G. Campbell

Occupation: Saloon and Billiards

Business Address: 76 East Genesee

Home Address: 58 Warren

City: Syracuse

State: New York

Year: 1888 1889



CLEARLY a card made for his "saloon" as it lists the business address and NOT his home!!

He is definitely NOT the photographer who took the photo!!



Some folks may get technical and call it a "Trade Card" since these were probably given out free at the bar as advertising...

but STILL definitely a "baseball card"!!

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

Here was the last thread about the card. GREAT pick up and GREAT piece of history!!!


http://www.network54.com/Forum/153652/message/1130174799/Hidden+Treasure+on+Ebay

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

Granted, the Syracuse Stars were a Minor League team... but definitely still a "professional" team.

No doubt Higgins and others would have made it to the Major Leagues had certain white players not made a stink about it and caused them to be banned. I think Cap Anson was the leader of this less-than-noble cause.

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Posted By: Bryan Long

Just how in the world do some of you guys get so luckey to pick this stuff up.

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Posted By: Rhys

Hal

Thanks for all your help, that is exactly what I was hoping to find! That was really cool of you to do that research for me and I do owe you one. I see no reason why this would not be considered a baseball card with that information and as such it is the first one to picture a Black Base Ball Player.

Rhys

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

The research is what I enjoy the most!

What are the dimensions of the piece?

Is it hard cardboard or thin paper?

If it is Cabinet sized and somewhat thick... then you really do have something that anyone would be hard-pressed to deny is a "baseball card"!!

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Posted By: ramram

Rhys -

That's just a great item no matter how you slice it or what you call it!

BTW, too bad one of us couldn't have added that 1887 Buffalo (Frank Grant) image to our collection from the ebay auction the other day!

Rob M.

P.S. Do you know who that high bidder was M.F.Walker (aka Moses Fleetwood Walker)? I know Barry/Mark Rucker and Donald Johnson made pretty good runs at it as well but I don't know the high bidder. Seems he pretty much exlusively buys Negro League items.

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Posted By: Rhys

The card is roughly 7 1/2 inches by 5 1/4 inches so just a touch bigger than an N173. It is mounted to a paper stock closer to the feel of a cabinet card than a trade card. I had to remove it from being glued down for years to something more modern, but it came off pretty well. There were actually some newspaper clippings from one of the games Higgins pitched in that came with it as well and in one of the games, Higgins played against Newark who fielded Moses Walker and George Stovey. That would have been a game to see.

I do not know who the high bidder was that won the Grant photo, I have never seen that ebay handle before.

Rhys

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Posted By: Bruce Babcock

Where else can you post a question like this and get the answer in 68 minutes?

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

About time my interest in geneology and my on-line subscription to census records paid off!!