Harrison Studios - Negro League
 

Anyone know what ever happened to the handful of 1930s Harrison Studios Negro League postcards sold over the last few years? I see Heritage and REA had sold a few in the last 10-12 years, but they seem to have (not surprisingly, I guess) disappeared. Who's got them? Any chance they might be displayed somewhere, like the NLBM?

The team postcards or those of the individual players?

Any of them, really...

Several years ago I went to the building site where the Harrison Studio was located in one of those strange but hopeful quests. Not only is there nothing left from the studio, the building is now gone!

Are there any photos of that building by any chance?

Ryan I have never seen one before. I found their address in an old business directory. Our historical society has those directories from around 1900 up through the late 1960's when they went out of business.

What city and state was Harrison Studios located in?

Hot Springs, Arkansas but I believe the owner later relocated to Chicago.

I know the collector who has the 1931 Homestead Grays (includes Gibson, Posey, Williams, Charleston and Radcliffe) and 1932 Pittsburgh Crawfords (includes Paige, Gibson, Charleston and Radcliffe) RPPCs.

That’s Holy Grail stuff right there!

When the major league teams began to leave Hot Springs in the late teens and the early 20's the Negro League teams came in at the invitation of city leaders. Hot Springs had a vibrant black community with a fairly strong economy since so many hotels and bath houses provided jobs in the service industry.

With the Negro League teams came the black entertainers so Hot Springs in the 1920's and 30's was a mecca for the black vacation industry. Please don't misunderstand I am not saying the jobs were wonderful just solid. From Bill "Bojangles" Robinson to Count Basie and others they wanted to be around the ball players. I can see where Harrison Studios flourished. The war ended much of this boom.

There is a very unsubstantiated story that Josh Gibson heard about the teams training here and hopped a boxcar to Hot Springs where he was signed. I have never seen anything to prove this but the story keeps getting batted around.

In the late 1940's and into the 50's both Jackie Robinson and Roy Campanella put together their post-season barn storming teams after the seasons ended. Campy even mentions hearing about a talented local athlete that was having to work to support the family hurting his athletic career. Campy gave the young man money so he could play sports. It allowed Bobby Mitchell to star before heading to Illinois and then the NFL and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Had to borrow the image from VCP but this is mine.