Need help with old tintype- for Angela

[slidekellyslide]

Can't help with the team or anything like that, but just wanted to comment and say that is a very nice tintype. Not sure if I've ever seen an integrated team tintype before.

[brianp-beme]

Cool...would the catcher's mask held by the black player help narrow down the time frame?

Brian

[barrysloate]

It appears to be 1880's and it is unlikely we will be able to determine the team. There does appear to be a black player and that of course makes it very desirable. The uniforms are nice and equipment is showing, another plus. Is it possible to get the size of it? The larger the plate, the more valuable it is. Overall, it's a much better than average baseball image.

[barrysloate]

Another interesting aspect of this image is that almost every player is wearing a different uniform. Not sure what to make of that.

[4815162342]

19th century All-Stars!

[barrysloate]

A little too ragtag for an all star team. Maybe a uniform expert could help with this.

[Anthony S.]

I bet the dude second from the left in the second row wishes he had shoulders.

[Leon]

Thanks for the responses so far. First of all, the guy in the middle row that is squatting down with the big tie on looks to have a very awkwardly shaped body. Very thin. It almost looks like that could be one of those different-head-on-body type of photos, however maybe it's not able to be done with a tintype? Thoughts?

At any rate, with all of the attributes seen, and the seller has told me the size is 2 3/8 X 3 1/4, what do ya'll think a value would be?
Based on what I know and what I have seen sold, I would guess 750-1100..but I admit I am not an expert on them..any thoughts?

[E93]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

Another interesting aspect of this image is that almost every player is wearing a different uniform. Not sure what to make of that.

Doesn't that indicate that is pre-dates a specific year? I remember hearing once that up until some year (188?) players wore different uniforms for different positions. I have a similar anonymous cabinet with players all wearing different uniforms.
JimB

Edited to add: Just read through all the posts and saw that someone already stated that in 1882 Spalding convinced players to wear different uniforms for different positions.

[barrysloate]

Jim- yes, there is an 1882(?) cabinet of Chicago that shows each player wearing a unique uniform. If I remember correctly Al Spalding was trying an experiment of some kind, which apparently was not successful. How that translated to a town team I don't know.

[bmarlowe1]

1882 is correct. This was done throughout the NL, I believe. In any case, it did not last long, and the varying uniforms in the tintype under duscussion here do not at all match the NL scheme. Below are Chicago, Detroit, and Troy, all in 1882.

[slidekellyslide]

Originally Posted by E93

Doesn't that indicate that is pre-dates a specific year? I remember hearing once that up until some year (188?) players wore different uniforms for different positions. I have a similar anonymous cabinet with players all wearing different uniforms.
JimB

Edited to add: Just read through all the posts and saw that someone already stated that in 1882 Spalding convinced players to wear different uniforms for different positions.

Jim, that's the cabinet you got from me, and those players are wearing the "Clown costumes" as some called them in 1882. Angela's tintype photo doesn't really represent the uniforms that Spalding had in mind, I just think it's a ragtag bunch put together. The Uniforms Spalding endorsed had specific colors and patterns depending on the position of the player on the field.

[olsport]

Take a read on this 19th Century Baseball website concerning evolution of the equipment. http://www.19cbaseball.com/equipment.html
Another thing to take into account is the players kept, and handed down older uniforms (and equipt.), since they were very expensive. Some of these in the tintype could have been 10 year old hand me downs, and some look like something just put together of any type clothes. Another great thing about the negro catcher, is he is wearing fingerless gloves (isn't he?) The catchers mask pretty much dates the tintype from the 1880s, as it looks like the newest piece of uniform/ equipment in the image.