Chadwick's 1869 Book of Reference

[bgar3]

The Peck and Snyder trade card in the current Huggins Scott auction references the 1869 edition of Chadwick's Base Ball Player's Book of Reference, which I know has been the subject of prior discussion, but i notice it states that the book contains "seventy-five colored illustrations". While I have had and seen many Chadwick Books of Reference for other years(both wrappered and hardbound), I have never seen one with colored illustrations. If anyone has a copy and could post an example, I would love to see what one looks like. Thank you.

[barrysloate]

Hi Bruce- many years ago I purchased an 1867 Haney's Guide, also published by Peck & Snyder, that had affixed to its inside cover a large advertising poster, in full color, picturing sporting goods equipment that P & S had for sale. It is quite possible that the number of belts, caps, jerseys, and other assorted paraphernalia numbered around 75. It's only a guess, but that may solve the mysterey of the color illustrations.

[bgar3]

Thanks Barry, I thought that might be what was being referenced, but it really sounded like it might be something different, and I hope that it is. I had just never focused on the "colored illustration" part before, and had never seen color on anything but advertisements in this kind of early book.( the color illustration in the 1864 book is nice, but just one page and not really a reference book like this) ) Funny you mention the 1867 edition as that is the one I have seen the most copies of over the years.

[Baseball Rarities]

This ad from the 1869 New York Clipper mentions a supplement that Peck & Snyder included with their 1869 "Book of Reference." This supplement was "published for the benefit of parties wishing to order BASE BALL Uniforms &c."

I also stole an image of this 1869 supplement from one of Barry's posts from a while ago. It was obviously made to help advertise their wares.

[bgar3]

Thank you. I think that must be what they referred to as colored illustrations. My hope was there might be colored illustrations of players etc., even though I knew this was unlikely.

[barrysloate]

Hi Kevin- that color poster was on my wall for many years. I actually excised it myself from the inside cover of a Haney Guide. There were numerous tears that had to be repaired, but because the adverising sheet had never been removed, the colors were original and pristine.

[Baseball Rarities]

Barry - that is an amazing poster. I remember you posting about it years ago and I have been looking for one ever since. No luck so far. I imagine that it is going to be next to impossible to find one in decent shape unless it has been kept intact with the guide like your example. The ones in Kashmanian's book are pretty beat up.

[barrysloate]

The posters are so incredibly fragile- imagine something from 1869 made of the same brittle paper used in the guides. Also consider it had dozens of folds in order to fit inside the front cover. Given those factors, as well as the scarcity of a Haney Guide, it's possible that this one and Kashmanian's are the only ones that survived. I am not familiar with any others.

You can find, however, early guides with hand colored illustrations, as well as old Peck & Snyder catalogs with color pages. I had both when I collected and they are of the same quality as the poster, but the individual pages are too small to frame.

[Baseball Rarities]

Barry - I had no idea that they paper was the same that was in the guides. Your poster was so nice that it looked like it was printed on some sort of special stock.

Kashmanian actually has two different posters pictured in his book. One takes up a full page while the other's picture is much smaller, so it is easy to miss. It is interesting that each of his have Peck & Snyder advertising on them with different addresses: 105 Nassau (which would date it 1868 or before) and 126 Nassau St., (which would date it at 1869 or after). Yours came from the 1869 Guide, which if my research is correct, would have had the 22 Ann St. address if it had the Peck & Snyder advertising.

[barrysloate]

Mine did not say Peck and Snyder on it, but if I remember my history (and I do forget things) Chadwick published the guide until 1868, then P & S bought it in 1869. Does that sound correct?

And yes, the paper was incredibly thin and low quality stock. I guess the posters were not made to last very long.

[Baseball Rarities]

Barry - Haney & Co. Publishers published the guide from 1866 until 1868 and then Peck & Snyder Publishers took over in 1869 and continued until 1872. Chadwick was the editor for the entire time. Somewhere in 1869 advertisements changed from calling it "Haney's Base Ball Book of Reference" to Chadwick's "The Base Ball Players' Book of Reference" - note the exclusion of the word "Haney's" and the inclusion of the word "Players'" in the title. Obviously, the title with reference to "Haney's" preceded the other.

BTW, I have no idea where Kashmanian's supplements originated - I assume from one of the guides also, but they make no mention of the "Base Ball Player's Book of Reference" like yours did. Then again, if you had not actually taken your supplement out of a 1869 guide, then we probably would have never known where it actually came from.

[barrysloate]

Thanks Kevin for the clarification. I knew there was an ownership change in 1869, but got some of my facts wrong. I agree that without taking the poster out of the book myself, it would be difficult to know its origin. It did have all the very visible folds in it, so one could have certainly guessed it was placed inside the cover of a book.

But here's one other thing I vaguely remember: Somewhere in the back of the Haney Guide, among the black and white advertisements, was mention of a color supplement that was included. However, you would have had to have seen that to make the connection. Some detective work would be necessary to connect a loose poster to the guide, but it could be done.