Team Cabinet Photo - Black Player

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Team Cabinet Photo - Black Player

Postby Number9 » May 14th, 2009, 12:06 am

Here are a few shots of the cabinet photo I picked up in Brimfield on Tuesday. If anyone has any info on the team or the player seated front and center I would very much appreciate it. Thanks.

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conjecturing

Postby softball66 » May 14th, 2009, 7:04 am

In an era when there were not many integrated teams, this was exceptional and I'll be the Negro in the picture was a heckuva ball player. Curious photo in that there are nine players in the same uniform but the two players in middle row are in separate uniforms and one on the facing right looks like wearing the full fledged uniform. Two coaches. Was this a college team I wonder? :roll:
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Postby crackofthebat » May 14th, 2009, 4:51 pm

Any guess as to what the letters are on the front of the shirt?

P.S. It was nice seeing you at Brimfield and getting to meet your wife and little daughter.
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Postby Number9 » May 14th, 2009, 9:29 pm

Joe, no doubt this guy was a five tool player. My guess is college, possibly even a competitive amateur team. Seems unlikely that a minor league or semi pro team would only picture the starting nine.

Thanks Fred, good to see you again as well. Not really sure what the insignia is. Could be a gothic "C" though I'm not sure. UConn was known as Connecticut Agricultural around this time so it could be "CA". I really have no idea. I sent out an email to the curator at UConn. We'll see what, if anything, comes of it. Based on the photo studio location that seems like a decent guess. I posted it over on the net54 memorabilia board too. Haven't checked it today though. Maybe the answer is waiting for me!

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Postby candlestick » May 15th, 2009, 1:28 pm

I had fun with this one. A lot of what is below is supposition I know but I cannot help but try to answer the question, who is the black athlete in the photo.

I looked at the photo and thought that the insignia was a "C" as well. Knowing that the photography studio is (was) in New Haven, CT out east I immediately thought Colgate College (don't ask why) but that is really upstate New York in Hamilton, no real reason for that team to be in New Haven.

Then I thought what about teams that would be playing in New Haven, i.e. teams that would be playing Yale for instance. That brings us to a couple of schools that would be in the Ivy League, especially Cornell and Columbia.

A quick trip to the Ivy League sports web page http://ivy50.com/blackHistory/story.aspx?sid=2/14/2007 found a small article on Manuel Rivero of Columbia. Apparently he could play and accomplished many things after graduation too. His last game would have been in 1933 and those of you who know the evolution of baseball gloves can tell better than I if this picture is accurate to that time period.

Next question for me is, if this is true then why would a college team from New York City have their picture taken on a visit to New Haven? Celebrate a tournament? A whim? I assume that any number of NYC photographic studios would be willing to take a team picture. Another question is whether it was typical for a traveling team to bring just 9 players instead of the entire roster or even a few additional players.

If anyone else is interested in this mystery there is a website that will list colleges and universities close to New Haven, CT. You can find that here http://www.uscollegesearch.org/new-have ... leges.html and have a go at several colleges.

Good luck. This was fun! Thanks for posting the photo.
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Postby vintagebrett » May 15th, 2009, 2:35 pm

Could be a prep school too - if it's a C, Choate is nearby, if it is a G, The Gunnery is not too far from New Haven either.
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Postby Rickybulldog » May 15th, 2009, 6:37 pm

Neat photo. Hard to tell. The gloves are face down so it's tough to tell if they have crescents. My guess they are full webs and one being a buckle back places it c. 1910 either a little before or after. Also, the lettering could be a type of old english "E". Just my thoughts. Cool photo. Keep us posted.
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