Hi All,
I have been collecting woodcuts for several years now and over the past year have been laser focused on completing the Leslie's woodcuts set. In general, the Leslie's woodcuts are more difficult to find than Harper's although the latter has some amazing woodcuts. I think that the first Leslie's baseball woodcut is the July 1, 1865 publication and is a 1/2 page game in progress depicting the "Grand Match between the Athletic Base Ball Club of Philadelphia, and the Resolute Club of Brooklyn."
Below is a collage of the near complete set (12 in all). I say near complete set because there is at least one more front cover that I know of as well as several other woodcuts showing more generic baseball themes. Additionally, there are a number of half-tone baseball images starting in the 1890's. If anyone is aware of other Leslie's woodcuts depicting specific teams, I'd love to see them!
Here are my observations from this set.
Most Detailed: 11/4/65 Baseball Match between the Atlantic and Eckford Clubs of Brooklyn aka the Creighton woodcut
Most Expensive: Same as above
Get Framed: Same as above...starting to see a pattern? : )
Least Expensive: 09/07/89 1/4 page woodcut of John Ward
Most Difficult: 7/17/69 Cincinnati Red Stockings
Next Most Difficult: Front Covers
Least Difficult: No particular one although smaller ones and generic scenes are easier
Most Akward: The Creighton woodcut w/o Creighton (
see this thread)