Fairly Important Historical Basketball Find

[ramram]

I recently came across this generic early basketball image on ebay. I liked the content and also the fact that it was very early, historically, for a basketball image made obvious by the fact that it was on a cabinet card. Some research I've done yielded the following interesting information:

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Circa 1897 cabinet card of Randolph “Red” Cramer of the Camden Electrics.

The Camden Electrics (later known as the Skeeters) were founding members of the very first professional basketball league. The National Basketball League (NBL) was established for the 1898/1899 season only seven years after Naismith invented the game. The league consisted of six teams: the Trenton Nationals, Millville Glassblowers, Camden Electrics, Clover Wheelman (aka Philadelphia Clover Wheelmen), Germantown Nationals and the Hancock Athletic Association. The league eventually folded in January of 1904.

The Camden team formed in 1895 under player-coach William “Billy” Morgenweck. Cramer was listed as the team president and also was their star forward. Cramer played for Camden until the 1901/1902 season when, during the season, he moved over to the rival Philadelphia Phillies team.

The cabinet card was produced by Garns & Co. of 206 Federal St. in Camden, New Jersey. One source indicates that the studio existed from 1889 – 1906 while another places it at that location from 1889 – 1897. Cabinet cards of this type were on their way to extinction by the mid 1890’s which makes this a rather rare format for a basketball image.

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The 1895/1896 Camden (pre-NBL) team. Cramer is standing in the back row, second from the right. These early teams often played with seven to nine players on the court per team, which is likely the reason for the large number of players in the photo.


Camden 1895 1896.jpg

Enlargement of Cramer.

Cramer enlarged.JPG

The 98/99 NBL team with Cramer sitting in the honor seat and holding the ball. The players appear to be wearing the same shorts and socks as Cramer has on in the cabinet photo.

Camden 1898 1899.jpg

Image of Cramer, sporting a mustache now, from the 1901 Philadelphia Inquirer. Note that the shorts are the same pair that he was wearing in the cabinet photo.

Cramer 1901.jpg

Interesting note - The professional teams of this early era typically played at local armories on courts of varying sizes. Fencing was often placed around the court to contain the rough play and also to keep the ball in play. Thus the term “cagers” came about to describe these early basketball players.

Some rough looking “cagers” from a circa 1920’s team. Note the fence behind them.


Basketball - cagers 3.JPG

[Runscott]

Thanks, Rob - I enjoyed that.

[D. Bergin]

Nice catch. That's an exciting find.

[RelicSports]

I am impressed with how long he wore his shorts...the fab 5 must have stole the style from him

[baseball tourist]

Great item! Excellent research.

[aelefson]

Great find! As you know it is exceedingly difficult to find any basketball items pre 1900.

Alan

[aquarius31]

Fantastic research, write-up and cabinet!


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[Exhibitman]

I got a response from Chic Hess, the author of a book on the Passaic HS teams and Professor Blood, ID'ing the people on the Exhibit card:

Here are their names from left to right: Prof Ernest Blood, Fritz Knothe, Fred Merselis, Michael Hamas, Samuel Blitzer, Milton Pashman, Assistant Coach Amasa A. Marks.

So, the card represents an early [first? only?] card of HOFer Ernest Blood. Fritz Knothe was a major league player, with the Braves and Phillies. Mike Hamas went on to play basketball at Penn State.