T206 Original Photos - Snodgrass & Dots Miller

[Runscott]

Here's a better scan of the Miller photo I posted a while back. Not sure I've ever seen this Snodgrass before.

[nolemmings]

Very nice. Are those Francis Burke's photos?

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by nolemmings

Very nice. Are those Francis Burke's photos?

Oddly, the book that I got them from does not credit any photographers.

Frances Burke would be as good of a guess as any.

[frankbmd]

Just wonderin'

if Snodgrass caught the ball in his bare hand or with that oven mitt.

[Runscott]

Frank, a lot of catchers posed that same way back then. If a ball had been thrown, it seems it would have hit them in the chest.

In the 1880's catchers gloves were sold in pairs - the right-hand glove was fingerless for throwing, and the other glove came with or without finger-tips. The 1885 Spalding ad descriptions are sort of difficult to decipher, describing the gloves as 'left-handed', but 'sold in pairs'. The 1889 Reach Guide is a bit more clear: "Full left hand, made of the best and heaviest mouse-colored buckskin. The full left hand glove with or without sole leather finger tips. Extra thick padding and lined with best Chamois skin. The right hand glove is made without fingers, extra padded."

Addendum regarding the first non-catcher Reach baseball gloves: The 1889 Reach Guide also describes their new fielders gloves ("this season we introduce for the first time"), also sold in pairs. They state "it is soft and pliable that a player can pick up a ball as well with as without it....All professionals are wearing the Fielder's glove."

Unfortunately, my versions of these guides are too old and brittle to make photocopies of the drawings. I'll try to take photos later.

[MVSNYC]

Awesome pics...Miller's bat looks like a tree trunk!

[deadballfreaK]

Originally Posted by frankbmd

Just wonderin'

if Snodgrass caught the ball in his bare hand or with that oven mitt.

The catcher in the Meyers photo is using the same technique. Makes me wonder if the pitchers in that era were really that fast compared to nowadays.

[Runscott]

Two more

[Runscott]

These are all out and about already (Magee M101,Bresnahan T222), but the McGraw might be a bit more clear than existing ones we've seen:

[Runscott]

Thanks for posting - I love these kind of threads, as they combine my two collecting passions.

The book that I got these from also has original photos that were used in several 1911-ish caramel sets.

I'll do some research and then start a separate thread on those.

[Runscott]

Here's the card image superimposed over the photo. You can see that it's a perfect match, other than the bat's a bit fatter.

[nolemmings]

Nicely done Scott. Are you just looking for T206 matches or other pre-WW1 card sets also?

[Shoele$$]

Originally Posted by Runscott

Here's a better scan of the Miller photo I posted a while back. Not sure I've ever seen this Snodgrass before.

Very cool photos Scott, I love the Snodgrass, never seen it before either. Great timing of this thread as I just picked up an Old Mill Snodgrass on Ebay tonight