1874 Cheyenne Baseball Composite - Champions of the WY Territory (NOW @ LOTG)

[Jobu]

I have this 9.5” x 14” composite of the 1874 Cheyenne Baseball Club, Champions of the Wyoming Territory:

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It is printed on thin paper that is mounted on a fairly thin backing.

I started digging to try to learn more about this piece and lucked out when I contacted Suzi Taylor, Reference Assistant at the Wyoming State Archives who very kindly provided most of what follows.

The Archive has two copies of the image, one from the 1870s and one that is later. The 1870s composite has individual mounted photos, so it is the original. The other is a photo of the original, and the lightness in the upper right of the image matches my piece, so they were printed off of the same negative.

About the photo itself:

Pitcher Warren W. Sawyer was a photographer in Cheyenne at about the right time, though his studio may have opened too late for this picture to be taken by him. In October 1874, the newspaper announced that Sawyer was fitting up an "art gallery" studio in partnership with Frank Beaucaire (the center fielder) who ran a barbershop. In March 1876, the partners separated: Beaucaire sold the barbershop and Sawyer teamed up with D.D. Dare and hired P.C. Hoffman as an assistant in the studio, now called Sawyer & Dare. When Sawyer sold his stake in the studio to Hoffman later that year, a nasty fight over finances ensued between Beaucaire and Sawyer, et al, that ended with a Wyoming Supreme Court decision in 1880. Afterward, Sawyer left town for his ranch in the Laramie Valley, Beaucaire left Cheyenne for good, and Dare moved on to more lucrative venture capitalist opportunities... and more scandals.

Charles Kirkland arrived in Cheyenne in 1877 and bought out Dare in 1881. Kirkland then sold the business to his assistant, WG “Billy” Walker in about 1894 and returned to Denver. Walker ran the studio until his retirement around 1935, when he continued the tradition and sold to his assistant Mack Fishback. At the time, Walker claimed he still maintained nearly every negative the studio had ever produced. Unfortunately, Fishback was unable to sell the collection a decade or so later and took them all to the city dump in frustration. Since most of the earliest negatives were on glass plates, it is unlikely any survived, unless someone happened to rescue them from the dump soon after.

There are articles that suggest Sawyer and Beaucaire continued their involvement with the baseball team until their business partnership went sour. The April 26, 1876 Cheyenne Daily Leader (CDL) reported that:
The members of the old Wyoming B.B.C. met at Sawyers & Beaucaire's gallery last evening for the purpose of reorganizing and making preparations for the season's campaign on the diamond field. The following officers were elected: President, George P. Wallihan; Secretary, Frank O. Beaucaire; Treasurer, D.C. Rhodes; Captain, Chas. Lediard. Various committees were appointed and other business transacted, after which the club adjourned to meet again on Monday evening next at 8 o'clock. Practice games will be played on Tuesday and Friday afternoons at 4 o'clock, the first one being appointed for this afternoon.

Then on July 1, 1876, the CDL reported:

"The Wyoming B.B.C. departed for Denver yesterday morning at 5 o'clock. It being so near the Fourth, but few outsiders accompanied the club, so that the excursion party numbered only fifteen. Unfortunately, Mr. W. W. Sawyer, pitcher for the Wyomings, and one of the most finished players in the west, failed to reach the city from his stock ranch in time to take the train. The game was therefore postponed until 11 o'clock this morning, when it will take place on the fairgrounds in Denver.

The Denver papers announced the arrival of both clubs there, and that they are in excellent condition for the game. The military editor of the Tribune is betting peanuts and lager by the glass on the Georgetowns, but before the game is well under way he will wish he had never heard of the Wyomings, as they are almost certain to win the game. Jones, our catcher, and Sawyer, our pitcher, with the remaining splendid players placed to the best advantage, head a nine which need to fear to measure bats with the strongest club west of the Mississippi.

As for the photos, it seems fairly likely to me that Sawyer made the original. The copy in the Archives, which measures 8.5” x 14”, just like mine, has a stamp in the lower right corner “WG Walker Cheyenne”. Mine does not have this stamp. The stamp would seem to date this piece as from being 1894 or later as that is when Walker took over the business.

The scan from the archives appears to be black and white, but the photo of the corner of the actual Walker image shows that the printing looks just like my copy.

The question is why this image would have been printed after 1874. Perhaps Walker decided to celebrate his new ownership of the studio in 1894 by printing this image for the 20th anniversary of the 1874 team? Maybe it was for the 25th-30th anniversary? The photo paper seems to me like it dates this piece from 1894-1910.

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A post-1890 date makes sense as the frame, assuming it is original, is backed with cardboard with an American Tobacco Company stamp on it. ATC was founded in 1890, so mine could be in the original frame and Walker used the back of a tobacco carton to fix it in the frame?

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Anything anyone can add about the team or the piece will be greatly appreciated!

[oldjudge]

Regardless of when it is from it is still neat! Congratulations on the pick-up.

[ramram]

Very cool Bryan.

Rob M

[TedWill1939]

The Capt. E.C. Bent, could be a relation to one of the Bent brothers. They were early traders on the frontier.

[Leon]

Very neat. Congrats. Cool item,.

[Jobu]

Thanks guys!

To be open, I have had this for a while and it was just sitting around, so I sent it to an AH so that someone else could enjoy it. The AH couldn't find out enough about it to be comfortable listing it, which is fair and the right call IMO, so it came back to me.

Normally I do a deep dive on research on things right away, but for some reason it took a long time and then having this one return home for me to really dive in (lots of other research projects on the burners too). So I figured I would post what I have and cross my fingers that someone else might be able to add some more details.

[Michael Peich]

That's a great piece, Bryan, and thanks for sharing it. It's another addition to the history of 19c baseball.

Cheers,
Mike

[drcy]

It's not from the 1800s, but is from early 1900s and is antique. And, from all evidence, it is very rare.

In the early 1900s and 1800s they sometimes made "re-printed" images like this. There are those 1927 Old Judge large display pieces, for example (Different than the vermon find), and they made late 1800s and early 1900s cabinet cards of, say, Civil War generals.

Due to its large size and perhaps being unique, it appears to have been made for some exhibit. Perhaps the team or town anniversary or some town festival or something. That's a matter or speculation, but a bif photo like this was for display. For a public display, it makes sense they would make just one

So it is a nice, rare and unusual (in the good way) photograph.

Bryan asked me about after he originally bought it, and I examined the photo in person. So I'm talking about having seen the actual photo in person.

I'm surprised the auction house didn't offer it for sale, and my guess another one might. Not being able to pinpoint the exact year is nothing unusual for a rare and esoteric piece like that. You just want to be sure it's antique, which it is.

[Jobu]

Thanks everyone for your feedback. And a special thanks to David for his continued willingness to share his vast knowledge - it is greatly appreciated!

[kkkkandp]

Great images of old-time baseball players with some serious facial hair!

Nice item!

[brass_rat]

Bryan,

I'm certainly late to the party here, but congrats on another great effort on an interesting piece in your collection. I continue to be impressed with your research abilities and focus.

Steve

[Jobu]

I wanted to bump this one to the top to let everyone know that it just went live at LOTG:

http://loveofthegameauctions.com/Tur...-LOT22084.aspx

Edit: Also, thanks brass_rat!