Color in a Black and White World

[Dave Grob]

One of the things I enjoy most about vintage baseball uniforms is that they provide “contextual color” to what was otherwise a black and white world. Unless you lived in proximity to a major league city (and prior to 1953, there were only eleven of them) what you saw of the game was largely through black and white images in newspapers or news reels. It is not difficult to visualize the ball being white, shoes being black, with bats and gloves being various hues of brow… but what about those uniforms?
Dave Grob

[Hot Springs Bathers]

Wow! Great stuff, can't wait for the book!

[Dave Grob]

Thanks, but this was not a "book pimp" post. In retrospect, I wish we would have gone to greater lengths to reinforce this point in our effort, but I think it does come across in any number of places.

Dave Grob

[Scott Garner]

Dave,
I couldn't agree more about the interesting juxtaposition between B /W and the reality of color in earlier baseball. I've actually thought a lot about this as a collector.

[earlywynnfan]

Excellent!! Wasn't expecting the Giants' lettering to be blue!

[Dave Grob]

I wish we would have tried our hand at some photographs like this.

Dave Grob

[Dewey]

Really cool and surprising. Two things standout to me. One, how much I impose my color experience back onto earlier baseball. For instance, I'd never guess the Pittsburgh colors weren't black, yellow, and white. And two, that Yankee Stadium steward jacket is exceptional and really shows the type of color research that goes into, for instance, a Kreindler painting. I'd never guess it was such a red. So much blue and red lettering throughout these uniforms.

[shernan30]

Pretty awesome!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[horzverti]

Great stuff! I would love to see more if you have some ready to post.
Thanks Dave

[Dave Grob]

It is very natural to think of the Pittsburgh Pirates in black and yellow because that is what we became accustomed to seeing with the proliferation of color photography.

Dave Grob

[CW]

Very cool concept, Dave, with the paired up photos.

Also reminded me a bit of this cartoon...

[steve B]

cool stuff.

Color photography existed in different forms from 1861 on, with the first commercially sold color photography system coming in about 1907.

It was a European system, so I doubt there's any baseball pictures that exist.
The oldest Color baseball film I have is from I think 1946, although mid 30's would have been possible since Kodachrome came out in 1935 (the name was used earlier for a 2 color film that wasn't terrible but wasn't all that great either -1917 til...? )


Steve B

[Dave Grob]

There is color film footage available from the 1938 World Series. That's the earliest color WS footage that I have seen.

Dave Grob

[FenwayFaithful]

Great thread, Dave. My collection is not nearly as in-depth as Dave's, but thought I'd add something to the thread.

1939 Cardinals

[Dave Grob]

Love it. Great pic and uniform. I am a huge fan and collector of NL road uniforms.

Dave Grob

[Scott Garner]

Originally Posted by FenwayFaithful

Great thread, Dave. My collection is not nearly as in-depth as Dave's, but thought I'd add something to the thread.

1939 Cardinals

Clyde "Hardrock" Shoun! I love this jersey.

[FenwayFaithful]

Del Crandall Milwaukee Braves

Jersey is from 1953 (the Braves' inaugural season in Milwaukee). Photo is from 1954.

In my opinion, the most beautiful patch ever.

[baseball tourist]

Really great to see! Love the old flannels especially. Dave, I noticed the striped collar on the Reds jacket on top doesn't match the collar on the player in the photo....replacement?

[ZenPop]

LOVE these...

Have you considered getting a photoshop artist to actually hand color the b/w photos with the researched colors... before and after pics?

I've done a lot of that, and sometimes the affects can be really cool... Here's (bad example, since I didn't spend very much time on this one) one for a soccer club I follow... Arsenal. I'm planning on doing some baseball ones (when I get the time). When's the book coming out?

[Dave Grob]

Originally Posted by baseball tourist

Really great to see! Love the old flannels especially. Dave, I noticed the striped collar on the Reds jacket on top doesn't match the collar on the player in the photo....replacement?

Chris,

No, it's the same style jacket. In the B&W picture, if you follow the fabric lines up from the placket, you will see that that they are folded over. What you are seeing in the collar area of the B&W photo is underside of the fabric.

Dave Grob

[Bobmc]

Fascinating thread, Dave.
Thank you very much for sharing.

[bigfanNY]

Dave thanks so much for sharing the uniforms I have always liked these because they bring history to Life.

[Dave Grob]

Love this layout for a couple of reasons. First it allows me think about and visualize a game at Crosley Field. Next it can actually be used as a tool to assess color in black and white photos.

Dave Grob

[icollectDCsports]

Very cool. It's still such an amazing thing to me that our view of the game in earlier times (and other aspects of life, too) is so dependent on black and white photos. And that's why, as you state, it's so cool to see -- in person or in photos -- the color jerseys and other uniform items worn back then. Thanks to all who posted photos in this thread.