Photography: Greatest photographs not taken

sphere and ash · #1 09-22-2018, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lumberjack

The pre 1920 photos concentrated on the ceremonial: a flag raising, meetings at home plate with umpires or team captains, the size of the crowd for an important game...that sort of thing.

The question is why these photographic conventions became common: they’re easy and don’t require the photographer to stay for the entire game, allowing them to make the evening edition.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lumberjack

If you lived in New York City in 1910, there would have been 228 major league games played between April and October. That's 2052 innings. At some point, a lot of editors might have said, "Haven't we done enough of that this year."

That’s true, but why not think of capturing important plays during the World Series for readers? The idea was not pursued until 1920. When the Daily News pursued the idea, they referred to it on their cover as “Something New in Baseball.”

Quote:

Originally Posted by lumberjack

Beanings....I have a Paul Thompson credited shot of Geo. Moriarity being carried off the field when he was with Detroit (the circumstances of his injury are not explained), but beanings, let's face it, happened a lot. A minor leaguer, John Dodge, had been killed a few years earlier, but it doesn't appear to have been big news.
Charles Conlon, who seems like a very formal soul, might not have taken a photo of a prostrate Ray Chapman....Weegee, had he been doing baseball, probably wouldn't have had any problem with capturing the moment. Attitudes changed....
There is a shot of an unconscious Babe Ruth from the twenties, Mickey Cochrane in 1937 in New York, and plenty of shots of an injured Pete Reiser. There are more.

Beanings may have been common (I don’t know the statistics), but it was immediately apparent to everyone present that Chapman’s beaning was different: the home plate umpire yelled into the stands for a doctor. Some people have suggested to me that it’s possible that the Daily News and other newspapers didn’t want to publish an image of someone dying (and you suggest that Conlon might not have wanted the image). That’s a credible thesis, but I think it’s undercut by the potential for other images that day: for example, one of the umpire calling for a doctor in the house. And it’s also undercut by the Daily News’ decision in 1927 to seek and then to publish an image of Ruth Snyder at the moment of her execution with the headline “Dead!”

Somewhere I have the last image of Chapman ever taken—when I find it I’ll post it here. It was taken in Cleveland; Chapman died in New York. I’ll end where I started this thread: I think images of the Chapman beaning are the greatest baseball photographs not taken. You just can’t exceed the pathos of an umpire yelling into the stands for a doctor, already knowing that it’s almost futile. And you can’t exceed the pathos and composition of Chapman being carried, echoing the Descent from the Cross, to the clubhouse in center field.

packs · #2 09-22-2018, 12:58 PM

Waddell striking out the side while he has his fielders lined up on the foul line.

For such a historic event happening so late in time, this is the only photograph I know of that shows Joe D's 56tth consecutive hit (my photo):

lumberjack · #3 09-22-2018, 03:15 PM

I'm not sure of the number of batters who were hit by pitched balls in those days, but as there were no protective helmets, anybody who was hit was in a life threatening situation. Remember, Walter Johnson, unintentionally wild, was always afraid he would kill a hitter.
The first game I ever attended was in Detroit in 1956. A Tigers pitcher sent Vic Power flying. Power left the field for a moment and returned wearing a plastic helmet, which wasn't mandatory until 1957. The crowd thought the entire episode was greatly amusing. I remember that well.
Oh, pitchers hit by batted balls. Bubba Church was hit in the face/head in 1950, I believe. I doubt if he was the first. This was shortly before my time; I don't know how the press covered the event, but I do remember Herb Score. The photo of Score, flat on the ground with blood running down his face, was
impossible to avoid. That happened with Tony C., too, didn't it.
The old local television adage, "If it bleeds, it leads."
lumberjack

steve B · #4 09-22-2018, 09:59 PM

Well, an unexpected result. Looking for info on something I got today I came across this.

https://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=...-txIN--------1

hopefully the link works. While it's not baseball it is an important sports event. It's a photo and short article about a fatality during an Army football game in 1909. The photo taken just before the player was killed during a play. That prompted the rest of the season for Army to be cancelled.

T206Jim · #5 09-23-2018, 06:46 AM

You are much more likely to find game moments prior to 1920 depicted in RPPCs taken by fans than professional photographers. Cameras for the common man were all the rage during the Deadball Era. Here is a link to a thread providing the details about a game action RPPC depicting the key moment in the 9th inning of Game 3 of the 1912 World Series at Fenway.

http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=241403

1912 World Series postcard.jpg

sphere and ash · #6 09-23-2018, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T206Jim

You are much more likely to find game moments prior to 1920 depicted in RPPCs taken by fans than professional photographers. Cameras for the common man were all the rage during the Deadball Era. Here is a link to a thread providing the details about a game action RPPC depicting the key moment in the 9th inning of Game 3 of the 1912 World Series at Fenway.

It�s a great real photo postcard, and its presence underscores the absence of any image of Fred Snodgrass� muff in game 8.

T206Jim · #7 09-23-2018, 12:54 PM

Paul, about the closest I can come to Snodgrass muff is a same game 8 photo by the American Press Association as shown in the thread linked:

http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=227925

1912-World-Series-600-dpi-web.jpg

It at least demonstrates that the major press services were taking game action photos at those games.

Dewey · #8 09-23-2018, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T206Jim

You are much more likely to find game moments prior to 1920 depicted in RPPCs taken by fans than professional photographers. Cameras for the common man were all the rage during the Deadball Era. Here is a link to a thread providing the details about a game action RPPC depicting the key moment in the 9th inning of Game 3 of the 1912 World Series at Fenway.

http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=241403

Attachment 329315

Cool thread and great sleuthing, Jim. Thanks for posting that. Awesome RPPC.

bgar3 · #9 09-23-2018, 03:20 PM

Paul, it is pictured in Burns’ book, he is scoring standing up. I may have posted it here sometime a long time ago, I think there was a relative of Yerkes who posted for info. And, yes, I realize I should still have them. If you would like I could photograph the page in Burns’ book.
NOT in Burns’ book, or at least I couldnt find it. Sorry.

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