1877 Catcher’s mask game image (earliest?)
I have found an image of Tyng wearing the catcher’s mask in a game against Yale on June 22, 1877. Sorry, not a photo, but a nice illustration by Attwood in a book entitled Manners and Customs of Harvard Students, published in 1877. The book of illustrations notes they first appeared in the Harvard Lampoon, no dates given.
The illustration shows Yale batting, Ernst pitching and Tyng catching with the mask. I believe the earliest photo is the 1877 team image, date unknown, but I am guessing it was taken onetime in May or June as the college season lasted much longer than the current seasons.
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