Interesting Negro League cabinet

[packs]

Anyone else watch this listing end? It has a notation on the back that it was the Page Fence Giants. I only see one guy with a bat and uniform. The rest of the crowd is dressed in formal wear. Any chance this is a full team and not just a gathering of friends?

[h2oya311]

I was watching that too. I couldn't identify anyone though so stayed away. The guy with the bat had a resemblance to Bud Fowler (in complexion and stature), but I am certainly no expert...

[packs]

I wanted to bid strong but I had a hard time trying to decide if this was in fact a team or if it was just a bunch of friends gathered and one of them happened to be playing baseball earlier or something.

[bcbgcbrcb]

Well, since the Page Fence Giants were formed during the mid-1890's, I would say that the ID on the back is meaningless...

[ajjohnsonsoxfan]

damn what a great looking cabinet! Thanks for sharing

[ramram]

Very interesting image but, no, I could not find a relationship with the Page Fence team either. The ink on the back also looks more recent. However, aside from the questionable connection to the Giants, its a great image in its own right. You just don't often see a large group of well-dressed African Americans in images back then and then with the added bonus of one of them having a bat and base ball uniform.

Rob M

[mannybb24]

I'm no expert, especially when it comes this early stuff but could the date be right and the team be wrongly identified? There's not too many photos out there to compare but a few of the guys look like players from "Original Cuban Giants" and they played back in the mid-late 1880's.

I don't know who they are but it's a really cool photo.

[ramram]

Originally Posted by mannybb24

I'm no expert, especially when it comes this early stuff but could the date be right and the team be wrongly identified? There's not too many photos out there to compare but a few of the guys look like players from "Original Cuban Giants" and they played back in the mid-late 1880's.

I don't know who they are but it's a really cool photo.

I thought about that as well but still couldn't make any key matches. However, the guy in uniform with the bat does wear a uniform similar (except for the pants) to the Original Cuban Giants but I guess that argument is true for a lot of teams during that period that wore similar uniforms to these.

Rob M

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Page Fence:
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[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Writing is in ballpoint which means the writing is post WWII. Writing from 60 years after the photo was taken is pretty much useless unfortunately. I guess it gives you a place to start and you've run with that. Good Luck, It's a cool picture.

[mannybb24]

Here's a close up pic of a Harry Johnson with a mustache. Johnson was the lone white guy on the original Cuban Giants team and is also shown in the team pic Rob posted without a stache.

The white guy sitting in the middle of the pic that is in question was identified by an EBayer as possibly being Page Fence Manager A.S. (Gus) Parsons, who is pictured in the PF team photo. While there are some mustache similarities, my thoughts are why would the manager dress down for this photo? He's not wearing a suit, nor a tie and if you look at most team photos from this era the managers and owners are usually the best dressed. Just my thoughts, again I'm certainly no expert.

[ramram]

Originally Posted by mannybb24

Here's a close up pic of a Harry Johnson with a mustache. Johnson was the lone white guy on the original Cuban Giants team and is also shown in the team pic Rob posted without a stache.

The white guy sitting in the middle of the pic that is in question was identified by an EBayer as possibly being Page Fence Manager A.S. (Gus) Parsons, who is pictured in the PF team photo. While there are some mustache similarities, my thoughts are why would the manager dress down for this photo? He's not wearing a suit, nor a tie and if you look at most team photos from this era the managers and owners are usually the best dressed. Just my thoughts, again I'm certainly no expert.

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