View Full Version : Need help identifying this
Scubadad
10-04-2015, 06:29 PM
Hi all!
I've had this postcard for years, but never could pin down what it is, who's on it, or how old it really is. Can anyone shed any light on this?
Thanks in advance!207156
207157
207158
pariah1107
10-04-2015, 06:56 PM
Hello Scubadad, I am not a postcard expert but would date this from the White Border period 1915-30.
As for the team; there was a ballclub in the 1920's Tacoma Industrial League named the 23rd Street Skidoos (Fielder Jones was president of the TIL). The "23" and "Skidoo" on the door are almost assuredly related, but it was a very popular phrase in the early 1900's, and could be almost any town. To the best of my recollection I have never seen a photo of the Tacoma teams uniforms, but see what I can dig up.
timn1
10-04-2015, 08:33 PM
Man, Ty, that is some impressive info -
This board rocks-
swarmee
10-05-2015, 04:57 AM
Well, the back has Los Angeles written on the back in period handwriting/ink. So that could help if you find they made a trip there.
asphaltman
10-05-2015, 05:26 AM
With the divided postcard back, it's possible it could be anywhere from mid 1907 up through the 1920's. The "square stamp box" along with the "Place stamp here" looks similar to the square stamp box from 1919...but doesn't look like an exact match. My guess it's within a couple years either direction of 1919.
frankbmd
10-05-2015, 08:18 AM
Not a baseball team at all.
Only eight players and a mascot/batboy.:D
bmarlowe1
10-05-2015, 11:21 AM
Note that the uniform style is 1890s - early 1900s. The gloves seem consistent with that. This all would be at least very uncommon for c1919, unless they were really old hand-me-downs. The postcard could of course been produced at a later date.
asphaltman
10-05-2015, 11:40 AM
Note that the uniform style is 1890s - early 1900s. The gloves seem consistent with that. This all would be at least very uncommon for c1919, unless they were really old hand-me-downs. The postcard could of course been produced at a later date.
Agree. Solely saying circa 1919ish based on the reverse...but with the divided back could be as early as 1907....either way makes sense with you dating the uniforms 1890's to early 1900's...I would venture likely some sort of hand me downs....
If it's real photo (no dots in image), it's an early 1900s cyanotype real photo postcard. Cyanotype was a photo processes known for its blue (cyan) image and was used to make some real photo postcards and snapshots. Baseball cyanotypes are scarce but not rare. The uniforms are early, so the date would be close to the 1907 divided back starting date.
pariah1107
10-05-2015, 12:15 PM
Doubtful to be the Tacoma team, they only played two seasons 1923 & 1924. Here's an image of Babe Ruth & Bob Meusel in Tacoma playing an all-star aggregate from the Tacoma Industrial League. No members of the 1924 Skidoos on the team:
http://digitum.washingtonhistory.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/mboland/id/27/rec/1
Way too many references to the popular phrase to narrow it down. With only eight players as Frank noted :) it's likely a very small town team. There was a mining community, now ghost town in Death Valley, once named "23 Skidoo" founded in 1907. Closer to LA and timeframe given by those much more knowledgeable on such things., but these are hunches. I can say for certain the man on the right reminds me of mouschi's profile pic. Good luck Scubadad.
https://books.google.com/books?id=CZFQBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA105&lpg=PA105&dq=23+skidoo+baseball&source=bl&ots=1VdG1x2gJQ&sig=YY8KS-azaSN_vHzP1ZIJ1_BBwfM&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CC8Q6AEwA2oVChMIsbGZi_SryAIVwRkeCh1YpQtM#v=on epage&q=23%20skidoo%20baseball&f=false
Jeffrompa
10-05-2015, 12:50 PM
It's a Cyanotype most likely produced between 1905 and 1910 . I agree the image could be from an earlier photo .
Scubadad
10-05-2015, 01:38 PM
Wow! Great info, all! Thanks!
mouschi
10-20-2015, 10:19 PM
Doubtful to be the Tacoma team, they only played two seasons 1923 & 1924. Here's an image of Babe Ruth & Bob Meusel in Tacoma playing an all-star aggregate from the Tacoma Industrial League. No members of the 1924 Skidoos on the team:
http://digitum.washingtonhistory.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/mboland/id/27/rec/1
Way too many references to the popular phrase to narrow it down. With only eight players as Frank noted :) it's likely a very small town team. There was a mining community, now ghost town in Death Valley, once named "23 Skidoo" founded in 1907. Closer to LA and timeframe given by those much more knowledgeable on such things., but these are hunches. I can say for certain the man on the right reminds me of mouschi's profile pic. Good luck Scubadad.
https://books.google.com/books?id=CZFQBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA105&lpg=PA105&dq=23+skidoo+baseball&source=bl&ots=1VdG1x2gJQ&sig=YY8KS-azaSN_vHzP1ZIJ1_BBwfM&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CC8Q6AEwA2oVChMIsbGZi_SryAIVwRkeCh1YpQtM#v=on epage&q=23%20skidoo%20baseball&f=false
Maybe it is my great great grandfather!
khkco4bls
10-21-2015, 05:25 AM
That image is not from 1910 to 20 S. It is from the 1890 s lace up front gloves add up to that time period.
dougscats
10-21-2015, 01:19 PM
Just to add credence to the earlier dates:
Regarding usage of the phrase 23 skiddoo:
"its heyday was really the first decade of the century; by the 1920s it was already rather passé."
http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-twe2.htm
khkco4bls
10-21-2015, 04:10 PM
With the lace up front and quilted pants definitely 1890 is no later than 1900