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Exceptional 1870s Baseball Albumen Photograph
Fresh to the market, this albumen photograph is fabulously clear and a nice, large size. It depicts four brilliantly detailed players standing in uniform with serious regalia from two teams of the era. They are not amateurish but rather serious and in their twenties, making this a top game. It is likely they were meeting on the diamond that day for an important game, venturing out on a neat side trip to the local photography studio. This masterful image was discovered recently in New England, and the teams are likely from either Massachusetts or Connecticut. One player from each of the teams wears amazing baseball belts that are purposely shown for identification. This photographer was up to snuff and paid close attention to these small yet vital details. One belt reads an easily decipherable “CHESTER.” The other we can make out the first three letters of “UNC” (could it be Uncasville, Connecticut?). These are clearly keys to identification of this image. These sportsmen are dressed to the nines beyond their tantalizing belts. The Chester players wear incredibly elaborate checkered uniforms with matching checkered caps. Each is holding a period baseball bat. The player on the left sports a gold watch fob chain. The “UNC” players hold unusual caps with stars on the lids. Perhaps most intriguing of all is that the two players on right appear to be BROTHERS. And they play for opposing teams! The resemblance is definite and remarkable. Matte is trimmed down almost to the image; there are two pinholes at the top and bottom, only one of which is in the image itself. Again, the image is crystal clear. Photographically, this is one of the finest albumen images of the era we have ever seen. It measures 9.75x7.75” and the trimmed-down matte is slightly larger.
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