The oldest card on this board?

[smokelessjoe]

Like Coreys' this is my ticket, card, invitation to a DANCE not a Ball Game... Unlike Coreys' I do not have the great "in-action" image of the game and mine is merely 30 years later! Yours is great Corey - Seems I remember you picking that up years ago?

I wish you could see this one in person - it is High Relief and I believe it is gold gilded. It shimmers and seems to have never seen the light of day since it was made.

Some of the guys went on to play in the majors. Pitcher George Bradley (Supposed first no hitter) played for the Eastons at this time and was probably dancing the night away

Here is some info from 1874

EASTON BASE BALL CLUB.

Among the organizations in Easton is one known throughout the entire
United States, the Easton Base, Ball Club. It was a continuation of the
Neptune, which was organized in 1866, when the great National game was in
its infancy, the club had a nine among the best in the State, during each
succeeding year. In 1872, the name "Easton" was adopted, and the club
entered for the State championship in that and the following year, but
failed to Parry off the honors. In 1874, the club entered for the amateur
championship of the State and the United States, in the, both of which they
succeeded, defeating every amateur club of note in Pennsylvania, as also
the professional Athletic and Philadelphia; the professional Atlantic, of
Brooklyn; and the several amateur clubs of New York, who took part in the
tournament for the amateur championship of the United States, at Watertown,
N. Y. The prosperity of the club was mainly due to the munificence of
George M. Reeder and W. H. Hulick.

The "champion" team was composed of the following named gentlemen
George W. Bradley, pitcher

Thomas J, Miller, catcher

John Abadie, 1st base

John Banker, 2d base

F. W. Wadsworth, short stop

William Hauge, 3d base

William R. Parks, left field

Charles Waitt, centre field

Arthur Allison, 1st base

J. J. Smith, captain, change pitcher, and right field.

The celebrity gained by the club in winning the championship in 1874, was
the cause of the above players, afterwards being engaged by the Managers of
the celebrated professional St. Louis, Washington, Boston, Chicago, and New
Haven Clubs, to strengthen their respective organizations.

The Easton Club is still in existence, and is recognized as one of the
leading exponents of the great National game in Pennsylvania.

[GaryPassamonte]

It is interesting that there is a player in the shortstop position in Corey's ticket. I was under the impression that this defensive position developed at a later date. Doc Adams has been credited with developing the shortstop position. Since the year of Corey's image is from 1844, it predates the Knickerbocker's origin. Perhaps history, once again, needs to be rewritten.

[Buythatcard]

Great pic by Corey but I believe this card might be from an earlier date.

[39special]

Originally Posted by Buythatcard

Great pic by Corey but I believe this card might be from an earlier date.

Thats great!!!Love those spikes!

[triwak]

Aw, what the hell...

[SetBuilder]

Incredible cards! Museum quality pieces.

My oldest cards are a set of 10 R&S die cuts. I saw them for sale individulally and I had to buy them even though I'm trying to focus on just T206 until I achieve at least 75% completion.

[GaryPassamonte]

I'd like to think this daguerreotype is baseball.

[Exhibitman]

My oldest card, made sometime between 1862 and 1870, of American champ John C. Heenan of Benecia, California. This is the earliest verifiable boxing card. Charles Deforest Fredricks issued the card as part of his commercially produced "Specialite" series of famous personages, sold from his gallery in New York City. His work is featured in a number of museum collections, including the Smithsonian. The copyright date refers to the making of the image, not the card itself. The form of copyright notice dates the card to before the advent of centralized copyright registration in Washington 1870. Since Heenan was out of the sport before the Civil War ended, I suspect the card was actually issued pre-1865, but there is no way to prove it one way or the other.

[Hankphenom]

Here's my candidate. I call it the earliest "proto-baseball" Card. Hey, at least it's a card, from a set. I have 17 other cards from the set, a child's word learning game of 100+ cards. Produced sometime between 1800-1850, from what I could find out, probably more toward the earlier part of the century.

First Baseball Card.jpg