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Cincinnati's Palace of the Fans Stadium Seat
Displayed is a very, very rare stadium seat, one from Cincinnati's Palace of the Fans. The Cincinnati franchise played baseball at the intersection of Findlay Street and Western Avenue in Cincinnati from 1884-1970. In 1900, a fire burned down the southwest grandstand of the Cincinnati Reds' League Park II. The right field stands remained intact and became a part of what became a new stadium, the Palace of the Fans, which was an elaborate structure in a Greek and Roman style that was home to the Reds from 1902-1911. The new edifice was only the second Major League ballpark (after Philadelphia's Baker Bowl) to be constructed primarily from concrete. The Palace of the Fans held around 10,000 spectators. It featured 22 hand-carved Corinthian columns, with 15 fashionable opera style boxes for the wealthiest fans, boxes that could accommodate up to 15 fans, the "luxury boxes" of their time. The Reds did not have substantial on-field success in their years at the Palace of the Fans, but before the park's luster wore off and the ballpark exhibited some structural problems, the stadium was afforded high praise, with the Cincinnati Enquirer newspaper calling it 'the handsomest grounds in the country." Hall of Fame players played with the Reds there: Sam Crawford, Jake Beckley, and Joe Kelley, as did Reds' players Miller Huggins and Ned Hanlon, who became Hall of Fame managers, and Reds' player Clark Griffith, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame as an Pioneer/Executive. An early version of night baseball was held with temporary lights at the Palace of the Fans in 1909, and that experiment foreshadowed the Reds becoming the first Major League team to add permanent lighting, accomplished at Crosley Field in 1934. The final game at the Palace of the Fans was played against the Chicago Cubs on Oct. 12, 1911, and later that day a fire damaged the 1901 grandstand. The ballpark was razed and a new stadium, Redland Field (renamed Crosley Field in 1934) was built on the site and the Cincinnati National League franchise continued to play home games there through June 24, 1970, when the Reds moved to the new Riverfront Stadium. The offered stadium seat stands approx. 30" high. The item is 20.25" wide, with the actual seating area measuring 13x17". All the metal, including the two iron sides, is original, but has been repainted. The wood has been replaced and repainted, including a white stenciled number 9" set against the attractive green seat back. This extremely scarce vintage Palace of the Fans seat is in excellent condition.
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