Bobby Mathews tintype (1888 uniform)

[TNcollect]

First I want to thanks everyone that assisted in the ID of this photograph to Bobby Mathews and to everyone that provided input under my posting titled "Gilbert and Bacon Cabinet Card".

I contacted the guy that I purchased it from and in fact he was the person that acquired many glass plate negatives and numerous prints of baseball players out of Vermont about 18 years ago.

My concerns with the image still center on it being a true view and not a mirror image. Most tintypes are mirror images.

This leaves two possibilities (more?):

1. The image is a copy of an image that was printed in reverse-- a photo of a photo, with corresponding less value. There is also the chance that it is a more modern copy.

2. The photographer used a reversing prism or mirror (not rare but usually not employed by 19th century photographers) to get a true image of the subject.

The quality of image (contrast and sharpness of details) are unusual if this is in fact a copy image.

Comparison to known images of Mathews batting COULD prove that it is a copy of another photograph printed from a glass plate negative.

Any thoughts or comments are appreciated.

Scott

[Runscott]

Scott, if you just want to know if your tintype is vintage, send it to someone who has handled them and they should be able to tell you immediately.

[sb1]

Does not look like an original contemporary tintype to me

[TNcollect]

Originally Posted by Runscott

Scott, if you just want to know if your tintype is vintage, send it to someone who has handled them and they should be able to tell you immediately.

I deal in antique photographs! I have handled thousands of antique tintypes.

I am not certain.

Scott

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by TNcollect

I deal in antique photographs! I have handled thousands of antique tintypes.

I am not certain.

Scott

I recommend sending it to someone who feels they would be certain. No knock on your expertise, but I can think of several instances when someone who had handled hundreds of examples of a particular item just wasn't sure, and in two cases the items were sent to me and I gave him an immediate answer. I can also think of instances where I wasn't certain about an item that I owned, but a fellow collector gave me a definitive opinion - so it could have something to do with being too close to the item.

Just from your scans, I agree with Scott.

Edited to add: a general rule of thumb is that if you aren't sure, it's no good.

[TNcollect]

Originally Posted by Runscott

I recommend sending it to someone who feels they would be certain. No knock on your expertise, but I can think of several instances when someone who had handled hundreds of examples of a particular item just wasn't sure, and in two cases the items were sent to me and I gave him an immediate answer. I can also think of instances where I wasn't certain about an item that I owned, but a fellow collector gave me a definitive opinion - so it could have something to do with being too close to the item.

Just from your scans, I agree with Scott.

Edited to add: a general rule of thumb is that if you aren't sure, it's no good.

Thanks Scott-- I appreciate your time and thoughts and agree completely with your last statement!

I am taking it with me to a show this weekend, so I can get a few second opinions.

Scott

[barrysloate]

Scott- I collected 19th century baseball photography for about twenty years, and I never came across an original tintype from the 1880's that pictured a major league ballplayer in full uniform such as the one you have. Given that fact, plus its originating from the Vermont find, and I would say with near certainty it is not period. Virtually every photo that came out of that find was reproduced, so the likelihood of yours being ca. 1888 is not good.

Of course, you should still try to get some additional opinions.