Bases Loaded | action photo | circa 1900 college/pickup game
 

I picked this up on ebay recently. Love the action here. The guy digging for 3rd, the man in vest trotting home from 3rd, the catcher knowing 1 or 2 runs will score on this base hit to left, SS running out as cutoff...CF completely indifferent with folded arms :)

There is nothing on the back. It's mounted to a dark board. I'm thinking it is a college town due to the buildings above the tree line and the observatory at the upper left side of photo. Of course, if true, that narrows it down to only hundreds of locations... :/

If anyone recognizes this setting, I'd love to hear from them.

I'm guessing between 1890-1900ish, no cars and a guy with a horse (or two) watching out past right-center field.

Anyway, thought I'd share - hope y'all enjoy :)

The 'coach' in a suit and hat running down the third base line. Third baseman also wearing a fancier hat. There is a lot going on in the back ground. That looks like an observatory at the top left. There is a dirt road behind the runner between 2nd and 3rd running up the hill right to left. It looks like it may switch back to go to the building below the one with all the spires in the center.. On the left it looks like a building under construction or partly torn town. Also, what appears to be a street lamp near that building. Man leaning on a fence, and possibly a horse, behind right field above and to the left of the runner from first. The building with all the spires is probably some sort of private school or academy. Some redundancy in what I have written and your observations.

It appears one team has uniforms and the other team is in street clothes. Maybe a college team playing a game with the people from a nearby town.

Could be a church with the spires...

This is a great photo. Thanks for sharing. What size is this?

The original photo is 5" by 6.75"

You might want to contact this group, they may know where it is.

https://www.historicalobservatories.com/

thanks Steve! This observatory site provided the clue I needed in the list of demolished observatories.

I can now say with certainty that this photo was taken at Park College in Parkville, MO (just north of Kansas City). Still working on an exact year and have a message out to the archivist there at the college.

Current softball field shows a similar view of the spires on google maps, although I think this photo was likely taken toward the southeast end (near the parking lot) of the football field next to the softball field.

Images attached.

Pretty amazing. Nice work, Net54

I'm glad that worked out so well.

Anything special or unusual is bound to be someone elses hobby, and the internet has made finding that other person somewhat easy.


One of the best ones I ever saw was in my bike message group.

Guy asked for info about a bike he had, and gave the serial number.

First response- something very like Oh that was made march 8, 1977 probably just before lunch.
Guy has the expected response of "Ok, now does anyone have a straight answer"
Detailed response?
Poster says that's as serious as it gets. I made your frame. We were paid piecework and I kept a notebook of every frame I made so i could be sure I was getting paid properly. It was made on that day, and was the third one of five I made that day, a typical workday. I usually finished the third one and went to lunch.

Doesn't get any better than that!