Need help identifying and dating old photograph

[slidekellyslide]

Probably a town team player from around 1910...and you will never be able to identify the player or location. Very little value...frame is probably worth more than the photo.

[BOB52]

slidekellyslide ~

Thanks for the reply. Your no nonsense response is the type I was looking for and anticipating. I'm no expert whatsoever when it comes to baseball stuff, but it seems to me that an individual who is an expert would be able to tell in a heartbeat whether a certain style of baseball uniform was used in 1890 or 1920 without having to guess about it. It took me almost two weeks to come up with what you just said in two short sentences. But what am I supposed to do if someone comes along later with a different opinion than yours and claims there is some value and interest in my photo? Should I just ignore them and accept your evaluation as final? The reason I ask this is because I've encountered so many different opinions lately that my head is spinnig. In other words, is what you are telling me just an opinion or a fact based on years of experience?

By the way, I recently submitted a similar inquiry to the Baseball Hall of Fame Research Department and Tim Wiles and his photo crew are currently taking a look at what I sent them. Tim hasn't commented on anything specific yet, but did say they are currently trying to date the photo paper. I will post his findings here just as soon as I hear back from him, which he said might take two weeks.

Thanks again.

Bob

[BOB52]

Here's another picture of the grain elevator(s) just in case it still exist and is standing in someone's back yard. Irregardless of the photo's value, I think it would be cool (if possible) to know where it was taken.

BOB52

[slidekellyslide]

I'm not trying to be rude, but you are wasting your time trying to identify this without any provenance whatsoever...and I find it incredulous that the Hall of Fame would even look at this photo and tell you that they would work on it...also you don't need to date the paper...this photo is circa 1910 in anytown, USA and that's as much as you will ever know. It's a $10 photo with the frame.

[frankbmd]

Originally Posted by bob52

here's another picture of the grain elevator(s) just in case it still exist and is standing in someone's back yard. Irregardless of the photo's value, i think it would be cool (if possible) to know where it was taken.

Bob52

nimby:d

[BOB52]

I received an email from Tim Wiles / Baseball Hall of Fame this morning, who said my photo was taken ...

"between 1900 and 1909."

He did not elaborate as to how they arrived at this particular date range, but I suspect there is something specific about 1909 as opposed to 1910. (And because I don't want to bug him again, I will just accept his evaluation at face value and leave it at that). He also said they were unable to identify the player because of the camera angle, which doesn't reveal enough of the player's facial features.

I appreciate all of the contributions and will take each one under consideration during the course of my ongoing research. I guess any additional identification will boil down to the quandry of my being able to identify the grain elevator, if that's even possible, which presently seems slim at the very best.

Thanks again to everyone.

Bob

[BOB52]

PS ~

Tim Wiles just sent me a quick follow-up reply to summarize by saying my photo was taken ...

"Sometime during the first decade of 1900."

Which is close enough for me and what I call circa 1905.

Bob

[BOB52]

Below is a reverse sketch of what the grain elevator in the baseball photo might look like if viewed from the opposite side. Compare it to the Attica, Indiana grain elevator. I'm not saying they are exact, just suggesting they are similar and may be a clue as to the style of elevator to look for. But the big question is whether the grain elevator in the baseball photo is one building or two seperate buildings? (one foreground ~ one background) or (just one building like that pictured below)? Another key clue is that little side roof on the upper portion.