Help Dating 19th century baseball photo

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Posted By: Keith

Hello all,

I recently picked up this decent sized 19th century baseball team cabinet photo. It has nice gold gilded edges and the board measures about 11 x 14 inches. I believe it to be Indiana University's baseball team, but I am hoping their athletic dept or library archivist can help me narrow that down. I wanted to get your guys' opinions on the date of this photo. I was thinking late 1880's but figured with the equipment shown, someone might be able to better job than me dating it.

thanks
KJ

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

I'm going to say mid to late 1890s. That's a great photo btw!

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Posted By: Todd Schultz

maybe the book at this site can help--scroll down to second from bottom

http://www.in.gov/history/6949.htm#baseball2>

see also
http://www.iupress.indiana.edu/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=19915

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Posted By: Mark

Agree with Dan... mid 1890s, based on uniform style and the pre-weld spider mask. Neat photo!

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Posted By: barrysloate

Those jerseys that tie all the way down to nearly the waist were common in the 1890's. Many photos of Ed Delahanty, taken circa 1895, show him wearing that style jersey.

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Posted By: Jimmy

The catchers mask is a give away as well (mid 1890s) agree with the above

Jimmy

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Posted By: Keith

Thanks guys, I knew the equipment would give a clearer age than I could guess.

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Posted By: Keith

You guys nailed it! An Indiana University curator just got back to me and confirmed that it is an Indiana U photo, and dated it to 1893 for me. It turns out one of the non-uniformed guys in the back row is Charles Jacob Sembower, who was a shortstop in the early 1890's, then a long term faculty member, and who IU's current baseball field is named after.