Peter, an update on your question of why the interest by Harper's which ultimately resulted in the famous Peck and Snyder photo card: I found further evidence to support the speculation that it was because they were in the New York area and having success against those established teams. Henry Chadwick, in an obscure publication called Walden's monthly from 1894, noted that it was the 4 to 2 close win over the Mutuels on June 16 th that "proved to be the turning point in their career of 1869 and it was the basis of their financial success during the remainder of season." ( I believe the team portrait was done a few days later before or after the Irvington game as noted above.). Chadwick emphasized that " the score of the game was the talk of the whole fraternity at the time."
Not conclusive, but enough for me to believe that this game n particular, was the deciding factor to interest Harper's.
|