1956 Wilson Sales Meeting Pictures

[vintagebrett]

Here are some original photos from 1956 in New York - a sales meeting/show for Wilson Sporting goods. I can make out the name tags on everyone except the guy who looks like Branch Rickey - anybody know if it is him?? I thought these looked great and will eventually have them framed.

[oldreliable]

These photos are incredible. Look at those gloves!

[ristankor]

Very,very cool.

[mudman]

Love these pix! Very good detail in them. Thanks for sharing

[mushroomknob]

great photos!

[fuzzydogg22]

I think i see my A2600 in one of those!!!!

[stockbuddy]

Brett, Great photos. It is neat seeing the prices along with model number and the cool gloves. Thanks for sharing.
Dave

[flathers1]

also for me seeing the prices with the gloves is great.

[softball66]

Thanks Brett!
I'm guessing, just guessing that the big guy with glasses holding the glove is lefty Gomez. Yeah, he's got the glove on his left hand but he's posing maybe for a picture and someone handed him one of the new models.
Again, a guess, is that Ripper Collins, another big guy on the right in the first picture? It would make sense as both of these were player reps for Wilson gloves.

[Mike**Mize]

Brett,

In answer to your question I looked at some other photos of Branch Rickey. To me the guy in your photos looks too young to be Branch. I can see why you thought it might be him. Great photos!

[William Sonnett]

Brett 1956 is the year that Wilson bought the Ohio Kentucky Mfg Co. You would be a better judge of this than me, but these could be some of the first Wilson Gloves made in Ada by Sonnett. My Grandfather was still running the show in 1956 after Wilson bought him out. Also as a matter of interest on the possibility of the above photo being Lefty Gomez, I do know that he had some formal relationship with Wilson as I was introduced to him and spent a couple of hours with him along with a couple of Wilson Big Wigs a few hours before attending game 5 of the 1961?( think that was the year, Red vs Yankees) World Series Game in Cinninnati. That was the last Major League baseball game I ever attended. When I tell the under 50 crowd that the last Reds game I was at was in Crosley Field, most ask where was that? or they look at me like I'm from another planet.
Bill Sonnett

[vintagebrett]

Bill
Thanks for responding - hope all is well with you. It is funny you mentioned the bit about making the gloves in Ada because when I bought the pictures, I said to my Dad that 1956 was when Sonnett and Wilson had merged. I was hoping one of the people in the photos might be your grandfather but no luck.

I can read the names of the two people with name tags - both are Wilson representatives (not Ripper Collins though). I'll have to look up some pictures of Lefty Gomez and see if his appearance matches.