Anybody know what this pin is?

[quinnsryche]

Does anyone know what is depicted on this pin? Value?
Any help greatly appreciated,
Tony

[ooo-ribay]

What's the diameter? What does it say on the back? Is that a gondola in the foreground?

I googled stadiums on a canal, stadiums in Italy, etc. and couldn't come up with anything. If it is an Italian stadium, I don't think it would have much value here in the states.

[quinnsryche]

It's 1 1/4" in diameter. It says Buttons made by Whitehead & Hoag patent 1896. It certainly looks like a gondola and the stadium right on the water.
No clue otherwise, very odd. Why would an American company make a button of a foreign stadium and not mark it? Is it possibly a World's Fair piece?

[perezfan]

It's an early prototype of AT&T Park. That's McCovey Cove in the foreground, and a depiction of an early kayak (not a gondola :rolleyes:)

[quinnsryche]

hahahahahahahahahaha!!! I like it. Too bad the Giants are out, probably won't sell now!

[Butch7999]

Tony makes an excellent guess. Not sure there's any view here specifically of the "stadium," but plenty of shots
of the buildings, waterways, and gondolas at the 1896 Columbian Exposition (world's fair) fairgrounds begin here:
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=1896+world%27s+fair+chicago+stadium&FORM=HDRSC2

[slidekellyslide]

Tony makes an excellent guess. Not sure there's any view here specifically of the "stadium," but plenty of shots
of the buildings, waterways, and gondolas at the 1896 Columbian Exposition (world's fair) fairgrounds begin here:
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=1896+world%27s+fair+chicago+stadium&FORM=HDRSC2

The Columbian Worlds Fair was held in 1893-94. The pinback was first patented in 1896 by Whitehead & Hoag. I think it is likely a 1904 St Louis World's Fair pin.

[ooo-ribay]

The Columbian Worlds Fair was held in 1893-94. The pinback was first patented in 1896 by Whitehead & Hoag. I think it is likely a 1904 St Louis World's Fair pin.

Why are you guys thinking "World's Fair"? Were pins something commonly produced for World Fairs?

[quinnsryche]

I saw a postcard on ebay of the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair "Grand Lagoon" with a palace or stadium in the background and gondolas on the water around it. I think it's about as close a match as possible. I don't know how to post a link to it though, sorry.

[ooo-ribay]

I think you found it.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/350407271188

[Butch7999]

Pardon the egregious error of our typo.
There's also the Trans Mississippi International Exposition of 1898 -- the "Omaha World's Fair" --
the only problem being that, while the TMIE also featured grandly ornate temporary buildings and
gondola-plied waterways, like the 1893 Columbian Exposition and the 1904 St Louis World's Fair,
it, too, included no building anywhere identified as a "stadium":
http://trans-mississippi.unl.edu/memorabilia/view/TMI04521.html

Perhaps Buffalo's 1901 Pan-American Exposition merits consideration as a candidate for the subject
of the pin's image, since it provided similar buildings, waterways, and gondolas, plus an actual
and substantial stadium. The Pan-Am's canal did not verge quite as closely on the stadium
as the image suggests, but perhaps this is just the result of some artistic liberty.
http://panam1901.org/graphicarts/tympalyn_map.jpg
http://library.buffalo.edu/pan-am/exposition/art/buildings/stadium.html
http://panam1901.org/visiting/food/stadiumrestaurant.htm

Rob, every gewgaw, gimrack, and souvenir imaginable is produced for these sort of expositions.

[ooo-ribay]

Upon closer comparison of the pin and the St. Louis postcard, I don't think the pin came from that particular fair. Thanks to Butch, though, I'd say it is for sure a fair/exposition pin. Who knew we were enamored with canals and gondolas, back in the day?

Value? I would still think fairly minimal.

[quinnsryche]

I figured once decided it was not a sports related item the value would be greatly diminished. If anyone wants it for the postage ($3) you can have it. Means nothing to me but someone else might like to have it.