Info please?? Mechanical Scoreboard photo

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Posted By: Ray Piskadlo

I won this on eBay last week. It's a beautiful original 5x7 of a crowd of people in front of a mechanical scoreboard. The information I have been able to gather is: the News-Times building is number 210. The building next to it is the "Home Telephone Co." and numbered 212-211. I cannot read the names of the scoreboard, neither could the previous owner. Based on the size of the crowd, is it safe to assume a World Series game is being played?

Any leads/info as to the date or location would be greatly appreciated!!!

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Posted By: T206Collector

"Based on the size of the crowd, is it safe to assume a World Series game is being played?"

No. I think they had this for many many regular season games back then.

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Posted By: Silver King

I'm not sure if it's the World Series but it very well might be the first ever tailgate party. Very cool picture, nice mix of bicycles, horses and vehicles and everybody casually watching the scoreboard. Wish I could tell you more but I think it is a great photo.

robert shaw

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Posted By: Bill Stone

--Congratulations --I was following that auction closely--nice pick up. The New York Times on October 5, 1919 reported that 10,000 fans watched the final game of the 1919 World Series in Times Square on the Star Ball Player Scoreboard of the New York Times.There was a fabulous picture in the New York Times Magazine of the event. This was an invention of a relative of mine Paul C. Oscanyan, who was the President of the Star Ball Player Company of Bogota, New Jersey. I posted a request for information on the SABR network on early scoreboards and got a fantastic response from Jules Tygiel who wrote the book PAST TIME:BASEBALL AS HISTORY that includes a discussion of scoreboards --he also has lots of examples at his website. I would bet that if you contact him he can give you everything you need to know. By the way if you want to see the patent issued to Paul C. Oscanyan on Novemebr 18,1919 it is patent # 1,321,940 . Again enjoy the photograph and the research !!

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Posted By: Ray Piskadlo

Bill,
Wow, That's great! Thank you so much for the lead and the info behind these machines! I had never seen a mechanical scoreboard before this image, but always read about them in books. Bogota is only about 10 miles from me. Small world!

Thanks again!
-Ray

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Posted By: frank

great photo, it shows how much base ball had a grip on this country , I have about 60 of these photos , from new york to california and up to canada , came from a "find " from bob wood /smokey joes son , then to barry halper, have little ad showing the maker as /magnetic base ball player board corp . /geo. h. reynolds , treas /p.o. box 618 , new bedford mass. , great topic ,thank you , frank