Folk Art Renditions of Baseball Players/ Who Are They?

[TaxMechanick]

Hey, I posted this on the card side; I should post this on the memorabilia side and see if anyone responds here...

Hello,Everyone,

I recently acquired these (2) c late 1880's (likely) folk art depictions of baseball players:
https://bid.robertedwardauctions.com...e?itemid=66398

I have my own ideas based on the style of uniforms (although no team names are obviously identified) and the represented images, as to whom the artist may have intended them to represent.

Alternatively, they may have been intended as "generic" renditions?

My preference is to first get some of your thoughts, without influence by my personal opinion. What do you think?

Please stay safe and well.

Thanks,
Glenn Mechanick

[CarltonHendricks]

Originally Posted by TaxMechanick

Hey, I posted this on the card side; I should post this on the memorabilia side and see if anyone responds here...

Hello,Everyone,

I recently acquired these (2) c late 1880's (likely) folk art depictions of baseball players:
https://bid.robertedwardauctions.com...e?itemid=66398

I have my own ideas based on the style of uniforms (although no team names are obviously identified) and the represented images, as to whom the artist may have intended them to represent.

Alternatively, they may have been intended as "generic" renditions?

My preference is to first get some of your thoughts, without influence by my personal opinion. What do you think?

Please stay safe and well.

Thanks,
Glenn Mechanick

Glen sir...nice to see you here...your link doesn't work for me....can you post a photo....I searched for folk art on REA....only thing I got was two bowling pins with BB players painted on them...

[1880nonsports]

you are more than likely SPOT ON.

[TaxMechanick]

Carlton, it is great hearing from you.

The bowling pins are it! What are your thoughts?

Glenn

[CarltonHendricks]

Originally Posted by TaxMechanick

Carlton, it is great hearing from you.

The bowling pins are it! What are your thoughts?

Glenn

Hi glen...Congratulations on your handsome purchase....they look individualistic and may very well have been intended to represent two specific players...but I haven't studied 19th century in many years...and don't have an encyclopedic recall of 19th century players faces...plus going from a photo without examining in person...But from a practical point of view...both players are rendered in different uniforms...and faces are different

What I caught was the pants are below the knee...kind of ruling out being from the 1860s...not cinched at the ankles...though the one on the right seems to have kind of an 1860 style cap...

What we need in this thread is a photo....so I'm including one...hope you don't mind...

So what's your take...what famous players did bidders overlook that you scored...

[TaxMechanick]

Hi Carlton,

Thanks for all of your feedback!

Honestly, when I bid on them I just assumed them to be generic and did not think about them representing depictions of real players.

When I received them, I started to study them more and it became a project for me... I do believe they are folk art renditions rather than produced, and I believe based on the characteristics and somewhat specific styles of the uniforms, although with no clear uniform identification, that they were intended to depict specific professional players. As I believe them to be circa late 1880s... i.e. 1887 to 1888 or so... question becomes who were key players from that time?

Now, I also believe there were likely more originally of them... quite possibly 10, so there were likely more renditions of players captured. So, these 2 they may not necessarily be the very best players of the time, but among the best players of the time, i.e. there may have been Anson and Kelly among subjects?

That said, these are the only ones that I recollect seeing, other than i did see the ones from the Mark Cooper collection i am going to say 30 years ago or so. I remember them being different and naming specific players, but do not specifically remember more than that... what comes to mind are players from the early 20th century, rather than 19th century....i.e. Mathewson?

I can say with fair certainty these are circa 1880s, and likely late 1880.

Anyway, in starting with researching uniform styles from the period, i believe one is Cincinnati and other is New York, although again neither is ided so i could be wrong. Anyway, here is my belief...

Cincinnati player is long in stature and features resemble long John Riley. He was among the best players in the window of the late 1880s based on his stats

New York player has the body stature and look and uniform style of John Monte Ward.

What are your further thoughts?

Best,
Glenn Mechanick