questions on vintage photo

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Posted By: Alan Elefson

Hi-
I recently picked up the photo in the scan below (please note that the scan has been modified to fit within the size allowed on this board. Also, the scan is a closeup of the photo itself. I have more scans if people need different views). The antique dealer I bought it from stated that he purchased it at an estate auction in Hingham MA. I have a few questions:
1. Approximate time period of the photo (my guess was 1870s-1880s but I am no expert)
2. There is a gentleman in the team photo who appears to be wearing a more "normal" team uniform (the guy holding the bat with an H on his jersey). Could he be a ringer or barnstormer? Has anyone seen a team from the same time period with an H on their jerseys? My completely uneducated guess is that he is a barnstormer (my definition being someone who is pretty good and travels from team to team to draw additional specators). If this is the case, then my next completely undeducated guess would be that he was on some sort of well known professional or semipro team, but that would be a complete longshot (at least I am not asking if it is Shoeless Joe or Cobb). Any help any one might have would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Alan Elefson

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Posted By: davidcycleback

I can't see the image clearly, and, for the sake of argument, will assume the only player is holding a baseball-- and it appears the young guy might or might not be holding a bat. Often times, you need the presence of a ball and/or bat to be sure it's a baseball team. If it's baseball, it's probably a local amatuer club, perhaps dudes from the same neighborhood and/or same work. It doesn't appear to be a big time team. It would be speculation who/what is the guy in the middle, as there are many possibilities. It's possible the photo was shot at a local multi-team tournament and he the home town star or other player of note who posed with the team. Your idea that he may be a special player is fair. A team photo typically doesn't include an opposing player in different uniform, so there must be something about him. If he were the manager, he would probably be in suit and tie. I'd date the photo to the 1880s-90s.

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Posted By: ramram

Unfortunatly, I don't think those guys are ballplayers. They appear to be wearing overalls and no right-minded player would try to play in overalls. I'd hate to think of the wedgie's one would get the first time he raised his arms to catch a ball.

Rob M.

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Posted By: howard

The little guy with the H on his shirt looks a little like Candy cummings who pitched for Hartford at one time. Candy was a little guy also, listed at 120 lbs.

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Posted By: fkw

One (amature?) Ball Player (w/"H" jersey) sitting on his bat (in the old Honus Wagner style), with his buddies after a company picnic (playing ball?) or something special (since there are bystanders in background). Id estimate 1880s by the look of the uniform, mustaches, and the black hats in background.

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Posted By: barrysloate

Some of them also look kind of old. Maybe it is a team that played in some kind of industrial league against other factory teams.

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

Very hard to say what was going on when this photo was taken....I agree late 1880s to 1890s on this one. Lots of towns would hold tournaments on say Independence day or other holidays where it would be Old guys v Young guys or Fat guys v Skinny guys. All the old guys seem to be dressed the same way and most likely would not have baseball uniforms since they probably only played in that one game a year...the fact that they are all dressed alike though leads me to believe they were playing a game against the younger fellas....perhaps the younger guys loaned the guy dressed in uniform to the old guys for the game???