1860s baseball team photograph (CDV)

[TNcollect]

I mistakenly posted this in the for sale forum. Don't know how to delete that posting, but here it is in the correct forum:

I am an antique photo collector and just got in this early 1860s baseball team carte de visite.

The center player has a bat and ball.

Based on the backmark (Warren, Cambridgeport, Mass) and type of photo, I would think that this cdv dates from about 1861- 1864.

I spent a good bit of time online researching Boston area teams, but didn't find a similar image.

I thought that someone on here might be of assistance.

Any/ all information or research suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks.

Scott

[Leon]

That is a fantastic cdv. Very early indeed. Others will be sure to help more but I wanted to say how neat it is.

[bgar3]

Really nice photo. If you have not checked out Lovett,s Old Boston Boys and the Games They Played, it may be helpful, since it covers the relevant time period and includes photos of Harvard and Lowell teams. None match up exactly, but you may find a player or two. Good luck

[TNcollect]

Originally Posted by bgar3

Really nice photo. If you have not checked out Lovett,s Old Boston Boys and the Games They Played, it may be helpful, since it covers the relevant time period and includes photos of Harvard and Lowell teams. None match up exactly, but you may find a player or two. Good luck

Thanks-- I will take a look when I get access to a copy of the book.

I would think the two TALL bookends may be a key to eventually identifying the team.

Thanks again.

Scott

[dwinters]

Wondering if those bookends are fraternal twins. Similar look and height.

[TNcollect]

I was able to identify the cdv-- it depicts an 1864 team from Phillips Academy in Andover.

The team was organized by a new student who had played on a Brooklyn Professional team. He might be the older gent in the center with the ball and bat.

Online link to identification:

http://digital.baseballjournal.com/n...startid=30#/30

Scott

[GaryPassamonte]

That's a beauty. Could you post a scan of the reverse?

[TNcollect]

Originally Posted by GaryPassamonte

That's a beauty. Could you post a scan of the reverse?

Here is the backmark.

Scott

[GaryPassamonte]

Thanks. That mark is more elaborate than the other Warren identifiers I've seen.

[1880nonsports]

Neat photo. Gary about your last comment - do you think that in terms of a chronology in general that things like the photographers attribution/back stamps became more elaborate just as the mounts would become more embellished? It would seem that way to me. I had studied cabinet mounts a little when I collected images of women ballplayers but moved on before I got to the next class dealing with the studios and such.......

[TNcollect]

Originally Posted by 1880nonsports

Neat photo. Gary about your last comment - do you think that in terms of a chronology in general that things like the photographers attribution/back stamps became more elaborate just as the mounts would become more embellished? It would seem that way to me. I had studied cabinet mounts a little when I collected images of women ballplayers but moved on before I got to the next class dealing with the studios and such.......

Actually, the backmarks tend to get more elaborate and larger as you get later in the 19th century.

The card itself is also a key indicator of era. Civil War era cards are on thinner stock, with square (vs. rounded) corners.

Scott

[TNcollect]

Originally Posted by GaryPassamonte

Thanks. That mark is more elaborate than the other Warren identifiers I've seen.

This type of backmark is fairly typical of Civil War era cdvs.

Were the photographer's markings that you saw on later photographs?

Scott