More photo help...

[Abravefan11]

First of all thanks for the great comments and help. Secondly this is not my photo, but here’s how I came upon it so to speak.

A few months ago I was doing some random searches at the library and one of the returns caught my eye. It was a photo of the NY Giants in a library owned collection. After a little more searching and I found out that the collection was donated to the library and was a compilation of work done by a local photographer in the early 20th century. Almost all of the photographs were of buildings or machinery except for this one. It’s actually a glass plate negative and after a little paper work and a little money the library provided me with a high resolution scan.

Since receiving the image I have wanted to try and accurately date it if I could as well as determine where it was taken.

As of yesterday I had it narrowed down to the first week of April if it was taken in Virginia. Given the rest of the photographers collection that was almost a given.

Originally Posted by slidekellyslide

Perhaps a clue lies within the fans in the stands as to the whereabouts...

Before leaving for the library today I was studying the photo and noticed this guy.



I noticed his hat had what looked like the letter Z and an O on it. After a little more looking I could barely make out a little bit of another O. ZOO! The Virginia Zoo was opened in 1892 in Norfolk in Lafayette Park and still exists today.

With that I headed to the library and looked at the Virginia Pilot newspaper for the first week of April 1913. On April 3 they printed a picture of the Norfolk Tars at Lafayette Park with what appears to be the same grandstand behind them.

Richmond opened a new ballpark that year (Broad Street Park) and it does not look like the one in this photo.

So the photo should have been taken April 3, 1913 in Norfolk, VA the day the Giants came to town.

An estimated 4,000 fans came out to watch Matty throw against the hometown club. The Giants won 10-4.

Edited to add: I'm not saying I'm 100% correct, let me know if you spot something that doesn't add up.

[Kawika]

Tim: Just for the sake of accuracy, the game between the Giants and Norfolk was played on April 3rd. Arcadia Books has a volume called "Baseball in Norfolk" (link = http://tinyurl.com/yevbo2b ). If you're not familiar with Arcadia their books are compilations of old black-and-white photos on various subjects; some of their baseball books are outstanding. Anyway I'd bet the Norfolk volume would have something to say about Lafayette Park.

[Abravefan11]

David,

You're correct and thanks for pointing it out for the sake of accuracy. It was a typo on my part.

Thanks for sharing the book Baseball In Norfolk, Virginia, I actually got it today. Sadly there is not a picture of Lafayette Park in it.

Tim

[bmarlowe1]

Nice find and great job on the research.

[slidekellyslide]

Norfolk makes sense...I spot what looks like two sailors in the crowd.

[Abravefan11]

Originally Posted by slidekellyslide

Norfolk makes sense...I spot what looks like two sailors in the crowd.

[bmarlowe1]

Detailed analysis of Tim's photo shows that the NY NL 1913 T-200 was a cut and paste job using mostly pieces from a photo taken at the same session.

Look at the T-200, and look at the far right of Tim's photo - you see Tesreau and the mascot. Just below them , right to left - Merkle, Wiltse, Snodgrass. Close details like jersey folds, shoe toungues, etc. match in both images.

Players like Ames and Devore who were traded were cut out, and Fromme pasted in for the T-200.