Today's 19th C. Pick Ups
 

Spent a wonderful day off from work with my Dad and a good friend / fellow collector up in NY State, and was fortunate enough to have added a few new items to the collection in the process...

1. c.1880s Sky High Model baseball made by the Shakespeare Company.
2. c. 1870s CDV of a uniformed player with a ring bat and belt that reads 'CATCHER'.
3. 1888 AJ Reach sporting goods billhead/invoice that reflects a purchase for bats and balls.

Jonathan
www.dugouttreasures.com

I just referenced your book today Jonathan! Congrats on three cool pick ups. I like the belt he's wearing. Makes the cdv.

Congrats again.

Thanks! Here is closer look at the bet and bat...really cool image for sure!

Great pick ups Jonathan, congrats! That ball is in insanely good condition.

Very cool pickups!

The Shakespeare baseball was made by the fishing tackle company, they used that slogan "Honor Built" on their fishing lures. I am sure it is a 20th Century baseball. I once saw a baseball bat with the same "Shakespeare Honor Built" logo on it. Maybe there is a Shakespeare catalog out there somewhere with baseball equipment in it that will definitively date the baseball?

I think you are right Dan. According to this, the company started in 1896, began selling baseball equipment in 1913, and in 1915 changed name of the company to "Shakespeare Company".

https://cache.kzoo.edu/bitstream/han...pdf?sequence=1

Looks like they only sold baseball equipment for about 10 years. It's not 19th century, but it's a pretty rare ball.

I agree.

Never seen a red baseball like that., thanks for sharing!! Great cdv and kind of a weird pose.....

How many years were those ring bats used for? Time period?

Only asking because the photo of the "catcher" has one and the bill/invoice has a pic of one too...

If the pic was 1870's and the invoice was late 1800's, that's a long stretch for that particular bat to be in use no? Like I said, I don't know really, just a judgmental observation I noticed.

Either way, love that ball as well!

Ring bats were used primarily in the 1880s and 1890s.

Primarily, yes...Kevin is correct in his assessment that the 1880s were the hey day of the professionally mfg'd and marked ring style baseball bat. That said, there are plenty of images of teams/players with bats decorated with ring patterns in the 1870s and even as far back as the 1860s.

Here are a couple of images from the 1860s and 1870s that show teams/players with various styles of ring bats...

Cool pickups, like the Reach invoice

1860s/1870s Figure 8 Ball
 

Been a little while since I freshened up this thread even though I did add a couple of ring bats, lemon peel balls, and a great 1860s CDV throughout 2017.

This is my first pick up of 2018...

A great example of an 1860s/1870s era figure 8 style ball...the kind of example that bridges the lemon peel- fig 8 style models.

The ball features that great, small, very tight stitching and coloration expected of the time...not toned, but actually brown.

Anybody else have any new 19th C. finds to share??

Happy New Year to all,
Jon
www.dugouttreasures.com

Edited

1870s Cased Tin Type
 

Circa 1870s cased, tintype image of a very stylish ballplayer. Likely a pitcher/hurler by the way he's depicted with ball in hand, the player has a bib front style shirt w/ what looks like an Old English "L" on the chest, patterned stockings, and high top baseball shoes.

I'm trying to find some more images of the Lowell BBC from the mid 1870s as the uniform, particularly the socks, bib, and lettering remind me some pics I've seen of them.

Anyway, I wish it photographed better as the image is much crisper than what I was able to show.

It's been a bit of a dry spell in terms of 19th C. findings, so adding this image was a bit of a big deal for me!

Happy Hunting,
Jon
www.dugouttreasures.com

Nice image on that one, Jonathan. Sorry I can't help with any id on it. Also, if you are ever so inclined, scanners take pictures of tintypes that look fine...
http://luckeycards.com/ptintype1800slittleboy.jpg