Tour of the Spalding Company’s Bat Factory in the 1920s

[Jobu]

Three gentlemen using lathes, note the foot pump. The two on the left are using rags to polish bats – in between them is the stack of Spalding Autograph Ross Youngs bats. The guy on the right is applying tape to the handles. The bats on the trolley between the two guys on the right at AJ Reach (tape on the handles).

Spalding Factory Type 1 - 5a.jpg

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Spalding Factory Type 1 - 5aa - 1.jpg

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Spalding Factory Type 1 - 5aa - 2.jpg

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Spalding Factory Type 1 - 5aa - 3.jpg

[Jobu]

These are the bats as they are getting prepped to go out. They are being placed in paper bags and the guy at the table appears to be stamping one of the bags. On the shelf on the right side of the cropped image, you can see the bag for Wright Ditson & Victor on the top and Spalding on the bottom.

Spalding Factory Type 1 - 6a comp.jpg

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[Jobu]

What appears to be the shipping department. The boxes look like they are full of bats in the paper bags we saw in an earlier photo.

[doug.goodman]

Wow, wow, wow!

Amazing stuff.

[slightlyrounded]

Originally Posted by Jobu

These are the bats as they are getting prepped to go out. They are being placed in paper bags and the guy at the table appears to be stamping one of the bags. On the shelf on the right side of the cropped image, you can see the bag for Wright Ditson & Victor on the top and Spalding on the bottom.

Attachment 441461

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Attachment 441462

Fantastic bit of history here.

But I really need to know what’s behind the workbench door.

[Jobu]

LOL -- I too wondered that. There are lots of interesting little things to find in these - the photographer was a good one because the entire images are really clear.

Being from Wisconsin, I also can't help but think how cold this building must have been during the winter.

Originally Posted by slightlyrounded

Fantastic bit of history here.

But I really need to know what’s behind the workbench door.

[Jobu]

Anyone photo match their Ross Youngs bat to the photo in post 6 yet????

[Jobu]

A board member (thanks!) was kind enough to let me know that the two addresses I found were retail locations. He also shared an image of what was likely the outside of this factory, where they also did testing and research & development. It looks more like the type of building I was expecting and the windows look like a match too.