Help Identifying 1870's Tintype

[mbedine]

I recently acquired this New York Mutuals tintype. I'm sure it was used for the wiki page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Mutuals. Whoever posted it thought it was likely Edward Ward but I cannot find that person having played on the team. I tried reaching out to the wiki editor and the NY Mutuals Baseball Club of NY.

Based off an 1871 team photo it looks like John Hatfield.

Does anyone have any other thoughts?

Don't see a lot tintypes in full uniform.

Thank you in advance,
Matt

[Leon]

That's a nice tintype. They are almost always difficult to identify...
Maybe some forum member will know?

Good luck!
.

[GaryPassamonte]

It's often difficult to confirm the identity of early baseball images. My first question is how/when this tintype was identified as Ward. Didn't Ward play baseball in the 1850s and early 1860s? If this was Ward, this would have to be a very early tintype, early 1860s, and he wouldn't have been wearing knickers. Also, the "M" on the jersey doesn't match with the "M" on the 1871 Mutual Peck and Snyder image. I'm not saying this isn't a Mutual player, but I don't see how it could be Ward, given the uniform style.

[Hoy'sNoDummy]

That looks like a Mudville Nine player, likely the much despised Jimmy Blake

In seriousness, great tintype - it's always fun to see these.

[mbedine]

Thanks for the responses and the attempts to decipher the uniform/player.
Mudville Nine would be great if it was.

He doesn't look too happy to be there!

Based on https://www.threadsofourgame.com/1870-mutual-new-york/ it looks like an 1869 uniform.

I'll keep looking.

[mbedine]

Originally Posted by GaryPassamonte

It's often difficult to confirm the identity of early baseball images. My first question is how/when this tintype was identified as Ward. Didn't Ward play baseball in the 1850s and early 1860s? If this was Ward, this would have to be a very early tintype, early 1860s, and he wouldn't have been wearing knickers. Also, the "M" on the jersey doesn't match with the "M" on the 1871 Mutual Peck and Snyder image. I'm not saying this isn't a Mutual player, but I don't see how it could be Ward, given the uniform style.

I don't think it is Ward.

I think it is an 1869 uniform as seen on https://www.threadsofourgame.com/1869-mutual-new-york/. Collar and pants height are same. M looks correct.

[GaryPassamonte]

Although the rest of the uniform matches, the "M" is different.

[dbrown]

Originally Posted by GaryPassamonte

If this was Ward, this would have to be a very early tintype, early 1860s, and he wouldn't have been wearing knickers.

Also, in general, early 1860s tintypes will have much simpler studio backgrounds — the more elaborate painted backdrops came into vogue at the end of the decade. (And stuck around for the rest of the tintype era.) There are plenty of simple backgrounds in later tintypes, but not so much vice versa.