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Originally Posted by vintagesportscollector
Spectacular Mark, congrats! What's the history behind the statue? Sculptor? How do you date it to c.1875? Amazing pick up!!
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Well, I was sorta "guesstimating" on the 125 years, and thought the Ricky Williams Photo may have been a few years more recent. But it came from Massachusetts, and was found with some other 1880s Yale paraphernalia.
As for Walter Camp himself... In 1873, he attended a meeting where representatives from Columbia, Rutgers, Princeton, and Yale universities created the intercollegiate football association (IFA). So given the evidence and accompanying items, the timing is likely somewhere in that 1870 - 1880 range... or thereabouts. If anyone has further evidence or insight (especially regarding the Sculptor), please share!
A final note... the materials, construction, and style of Base are all virtually identical to the Muller Baseball Statues of 1868. Same elongated oval base with textured surface. So I'm confident there's well over a century of age to it.
Thanks!