Tintype Questions and Show Your Own
 

Hi-

I have a cool tintype that shows a player sliding into a base with a fielder placing the tag and an umpire behind. This is an indoor shot. I have two questions. First, is there any chance any of the people pictured are known players? Second (and related to the first), how do you scan a tintype for a good image? I have attached my bad scans as well as my attempt at pictures with my digital camera. Is there a special setting I should use to scan a tintype? I have an Epson V33 scanner if that helps. Any help is greatly appreciated and please share your own favorite tintypes.

Alan

Take a picture with your cell phone. Don’t get too close. Take several and pick the best.

Do a prescan in professional or advanced mode, see how it comes out on the screen with both the lid open and closed.

Crop the image so you're only scanning that and not the whole screen, play around with the Brightness and Contrast a bit, and scan in at least 300 dpi or above. 600 dpi is optimal for clarity for the initial scan, and you can always shrink down the image size later if you need to.

I was able to lighten up your image a bit, but the detail is just not there in your scan.

Thank you guys! I think this is a better scan.

Alan

Nice tintype Alan. Unfortunately, chances of identifying them are slim to none without provenance that includes names, etc. If they had team names on the jerseys there would be a slight chance but even that would be tough. Just enjoy it for what it is.

Rob M

Alan,

Hope you are well, nice image!

Jimmy

Only a very small percentage of baseball tintypes have known people, so nothing unusual or errant having anonymous people.

Thank you everyone! I bought it because I love the image, but it is always good to check to see if there is anyone recognizable.

Alan

Happy to see another 19th C. thread started. I'll dig up some more pics of our tintypes, but here is one to get it re-started. Its a double image including an action shot...very nice case with intact clasp.

Here is a boxed tintype of a c. 1870's pitcher holding a ball...the bib front shirt, patterned socks, and baseball spikes make for a really great uniform study.

This is an image I've had since the age of 12...so, 30 years now! Found it at the defunct Great American Paper Chase Show that was held annually at a college in NJ.

Great team (well, almost) image reflecting uniforms, caps, and equipment.

Great image of two c. 1860s players that has been hand colored/tinted.

This is one of my favorites in the collection...just a great c. 1860s image of two finely dressed, seated/posed players with their bats.

Alan, thank you for starting this thread, as I'm excited to see what fellow members have in their collections.

Jonathan, speaking of collections, your tintypes are incredible. Such a good group of quality, well cared for pieces!

With that being said, I've included the only tintype that resides in my personal collection. It's in rough shape, but the image is still fairly striking (at least in my opinion) - a solid pose inclusive of ring bat and what appears to be late-19th century uniform (1890s?). Given the condition, it's hard to discern (both via image and in person) what is exactly written across the player's jersey - any and all help would be greatly appreciated, as I would love to continue putting the pieces together as to who this might be/for whom he played.

Thanks again for sharing these pieces, and of course, happy collecting!

Great tintypes everyone!

I’ve had a number over the years but none currently. Kinda starting to miss them after looking at these. Neat to know you have a one of one image when you have a tintype.

Rob M

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Here are a couple I own. The quality is not the greatest, but I have never seen another one for subject. The man pictured in both is Isidor "Jack" Niflot. He is on the left in the first one and in the middle in the second one. He won a gold medal in wrestling at the 1904 Olympics. He also competed in the 1906 Intercalated Games in Athens. He became a pro wrestler and later a wrestling judge and coach. He coached at Columbia, Princeton and the New York Athletic Club. These came out of the estate of his son.

My only example
 

Here is my only example...


It will probably be available soon.

Here's a couple more of ours...

www.dugouttreasures.com

Here is one I posted a while back. I love seeing these, so thanks for starting the thread.

One of mine.