Jose Mendez Photo Help

[Jason19th]

I recently picked up this Jose Mendez photo. It is clearly not type 1 but I am trying to figure out where it came from. Unlike most negro league photos we see listed on ebay I cannot find this image anywhere. Has anyone seen this before? Also thoughts about whether the player in the back ground is Cristobal Torriente ?

[jerseygary]

Don't know where it is from or when, except probably Cuba, but before I even read your description I said to myself "that looks like Torriente", especially since I just did a drawing of him recently. I'll look through some Cuban books I have to see if I can find a match to the uniform, but it's pretty non-descript in the photo.

[bcbgcbrcb]

I saw it on e-bay too, never seen that image before. I don't think that Torriente is pictured though and I'm not 100% convinced that it is Mendez either.

[jerseygary]

It looks like there is a patch on the sleeve of the guy cropped off on the left, but I can't make it out. If that is Torriente (and I'm not saying it is) it would probably have to have been taken before 1933.

[packs]

Mendez died in 1928 at the age of 41. I was watching that photo too but I thought the player looked to be older than 41.

[mannybb24]

I don't have much to offer on this photo other than I had the opportunity to buy the original from a Cuban collector friend about a year ago but I passed. I believe he still has it in his possession.

The player in the photo is Mendez, not Torriente.

Steve

[Jason19th]

Thanks for the input

Steve do you know if the original was a press photo or any insight as to where prints may have come from


Jason

[mannybb24]

I don't think it was a press photo Jason but I could be wrong as I really don't remember. I will rummage through my old emails to see if I can find the scan and info, I'll let you know if I find something.

No clue on where the prints came either but a good guess would be from somewhere in Cuba.

Steve

[mannybb24]

Since we're throwing out wild guesses on the guy in the background, I see it being Bullet Rogan more than Torriente.
Maybe just wishful thinking on my part but they did play together for several years in the 20's so it's a possibility.

It's probably no one of significance anyways but it's still fun to play the guessing game.

Steve

[mannybb24]

Scrap that last thought, Bullet Joe only played 1 year in Cuba and it was earlier than when this photo was taken.

This is why I hate playing the guessing game, I'm usually wrong

Steve

[mannybb24]

The original of this photo is from the Bohemia magazine archives.

Steve

[Jason19th]

Thanks Steve

the Bohemia magazine makes sense because the back has a grid stamped on it of the type I often see on press photo's and my photo could easily be a print made by the magazine some time in the 50's