Chicago Union Giants Negro Postcard

[Runscott]

Gary's i.d. of Topeka Jack Johnson in the 1905 Chicago Union Giants photo is correct. Here's the same photo from a 1910 issue of 'The Indianapolis Freeman'. I don't think the Seemheads photo or the one in the 1907 Union Giants looks like the same person.

[Runscott]

(Just using this thread to hold documentation)

Here's a 2-month old Wiki page on Topeka Jack Johnson:

Topeka Jack Johnson Wiki page

I'm guessing this is advertising by the 1907 Union Giants postcard owner or his proxy, given that it does not mention the 1905 Union Giants, for which evidence exists that he did play for, but it lists the same players for the 1907 team that we were able to i.d. from the postcard. Johnson, on the other hand, does not appear to be on either of the 1907 postcards, but a 'Jack Johnson' was a star hitter for their team, as evidenced by the game description referenced on the website.

The website also states "research also list at least three players who played under the name Jack Johnson between the years of 1907 and 1939". There is nothing on the website (or anywhere else) to validate that Johnson ever played for the 1907 Union Giants - My guess is that 'Topeka Jack' was playing for the Topeka Giants in 1907 - we know that's where he was for the 1908 season and that in 1909 he was in Kansas City.

I'll have a definite answer within a few days

Here's something from the Wiki page that I did not know: Johnson was managing his own team in 1917, called "Jack Johnson's Topeka Giants" who played the All Nations base ball club.[3]

Edited to clarify 1907 reference above

[mannybb24]

Good find Scott, see, I told you it was Jack Johnson.

I received an email from the winner of the postcard a few days ago and even after spending 2.4k on it, he knows nothing about the team.
He did say he will be doing his own research on it so I'll definitely let you know what he can come up with, if anything.

Steve

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by mannybb24

Good find Scott, see, I told you it was Jack Johnson.

I received an email from the winner of the postcard a few days ago and even after spending 2.4k on it, he knows nothing about the team.
He did say he will be doing his own research on it so I'll definitely let you know what he can come up with, if anything.

Steve

Steve, I agree concerning the 1905 Union Giants, but not the Union Giants on the 1907 postcard - almost certainly two different people. The Chicago Union Giants were almost exclusively a barnstorming team after Leland split with Peters and formed the 'Leland Giants', so anyone could be on the team during a given road trip;e.g-Will Horn from the Lelands showing up on Peter's team in 1907 (sort of surprising, given the Peters/Leland history).

I have been maintaining rosters/stats for some of the Chicago teams from 1909-11. I should have enough information somewhere from 1907 to get some good rosters together for those Chicago teams.

I just checked a sampling of 1907 Leland Giants box-scores (May through August), and Will Horn does not show up in any of them. If that recent Union Giants postcard is showing Horn on loan from the Lelands, it's almost certainly not from 1907.

[mannybb24]

I was kidding Scott, no doubt it appears to be two different guys. Keep us updated on your finding.

[bcbgcbrcb]

WOW, I can rarely afford to spend $2,400 on something that is a must have for my collection let alone an item that I don't know anything about.

[Runscott]

Yeah, if I could have i.d.'d 2-3 players as being from the 1911 Leland Giants and/or the 1911 KC,KS Giants (Jack Johnson, for example), I would have bid what I thought was high, and still wouldn't have been the winning bidder.

I figured he knew something we didn't

[Shoeless Moe]

Maybe he thought the chubby dude was Rube Foster.