April pickups

[perezfan]

Here's an uber-rare Football Statue I was fortunate to pick up recently. Truly spectacular in its detail, it is an original 1800s figural version of College Football's Walter Camp Award. The Walter Camp Award is second only to the Heisman, in terms of its lofty status...

http://www.picksixpreviews.com/walter-camp-award.html

Amazingly, this intricate 3 Man Statue portion is still in use today (see photo of Ricky Williams holding his Walter Camp Award). This is a completely finished piece, and the earliest known version of the prestigious sculpture. See pics below, with the latter versions being about 125 years older than Williams' Trophy!

[ruth-gehrig]

Wow Mark Wow!! Congrats

[vintagesportscollector]

Originally Posted by perezfan

Here's an uber-rare Football Statue I was fortunate to pick up recently. Truly spectacular in its detail, it is an original 1800s figural version of College Football's Walter Camp Award. The Walter Camp Award is second only to the Heisman, in terms of its lofty status...

http://www.picksixpreviews.com/walter-camp-award.html

Amazingly, this intricate 3 Man Statue portion is still in use today (see photo of Ricky Williams holding his Walter Camp Award). This is a completely finished piece, and the earliest known version of the prestigious sculpture. See pics below, with the latter versions being about 125 years older than Williams' Trophy!

Spectacular Mark, congrats! What's the history behind the statue? Sculptor? How do you date it to c.1875? Amazing pick up!!

[perezfan]

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!!

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!

[mjkm90]

Fantastic find Mark! Congrats😃👍🙌

[vintagesportscollector]

Originally Posted by perezfan

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!

Love the piece, it's remarkable, but just so you know, wikipedia is wrong - in 1873 Walter Camp was 14 years old and did not attend the IFA meeting, he didn't enter Yale until 1876. Given the infancy of football at that time, the timing of the sculpture most likely not 1870s. Illustrators and sculptors, such as Frederic Remington and R.T. McKenize, started to be influenced by Camp's Yale Team's in the late 1880s and early 1890s. If Walter Camp influenced the original sculptor, logic would suggest the timing is more late 1880s to 1890s - regardless well over a century old.

[ksfarmboy]

Outstanding pickups to everyone. Each is its own treasure.

[sporteq]

Originally Posted by perezfan

Here's an uber-rare Football Statue I was fortunate to pick up recently. Truly spectacular in its detail, it is an original 1800s figural version of College Football's Walter Camp Award. The Walter Camp Award is second only to the Heisman, in terms of its lofty status...

http://www.picksixpreviews.com/walter-camp-award.html

Amazingly, this intricate 3 Man Statue portion is still in use today (see photo of Ricky Williams holding his Walter Camp Award). This is a completely finished piece, and the earliest known version of the prestigious sculpture. See pics below, with the latter versions being about 125 years older than Williams' Trophy!

That's an EPIC find.. Congrats!!

[Scott Garner]

Originally Posted by perezfan

Here's an uber-rare Football Statue I was fortunate to pick up recently. Truly spectacular in its detail, it is an original 1800s figural version of College Football's Walter Camp Award. The Walter Camp Award is second only to the Heisman, in terms of its lofty status...

http://www.picksixpreviews.com/walter-camp-award.html

Amazingly, this intricate 3 Man Statue portion is still in use today (see photo of Ricky Williams holding his Walter Camp Award). This is a completely finished piece, and the earliest known version of the prestigious sculpture. See pics below, with the latter versions being about 125 years older than Williams' Trophy!

Very cool pickup, Mark! Congrats on adding this amazing piece to your collection.

[perezfan]

Thanks Michael, Joe, Mike, Scott and Albert. Appreciate the kind words.

Joe- thanks for the additional info. Late 1880s time frame makes lots of sense. Appreciate your rationale and insight

[ooo-ribay]

A little pen holder for your desk. Circa 1958 and given away(?) by Sun Valley Dairy of SF. There is also a Cepeda that, from what I've heard, is much harder to find.

[Scott Garner]

Originally Posted by ooo-ribay

A little pen holder for your desk. Circa 1958 and given away(?) by Sun Valley Dairy of SF. There is also a Cepeda that, from what I've heard, is much harder to find.

That's sweet, Rob! A really nice addition to your SF Giants collection.

[perezfan]

Congrats Rob! That Mays figural is one tough piece. Saw one about 8 years ago and was underbidder. Yours is much nicer, and the only one I've seen since then.

Great pickup!