When
Harvard played the Red Sox on April 10th 1916 at Fenway
Ruth
was 21 years, 2 months, 4 days old
11/21/20
- It's been a while since I've done any new posts...but that
doesn't mean I haven't been active...active phew!...yes I've
certainly been active...I don't even know where to begin...Let's
start with a hum-dinger...this c1890 Vienna bronze of a batter
and catcher...Note; this Vienna baseball bronze has been called
up to active duty as a "Sports Antique of the Week"
feature.
THIS
WEEK'S FEATURE
C1890
"TWO STRIKES"
VIENNA
BASEBALL BRONZE
Vienna
Baseball Bronze in Line-Up
THE
"TWO STRIKES"
HARVARD
vs. PENNSYLVANIA
BATTER
& CATCHER VIENNA BASEBALL BRONZE
After
twenty two years another finally surfaced
By
Carlton Hendricks
wenty two years ago I saw one of these Vienna baseball bronzes that
you can read about in
this link. I couldn’t afford that one and I had been on the lookout for another ever since. Recently a collector I’ve known a while who only collects University of Pennsylvania items wanted three things from my collection and I traded them for this Vienna. I gave up my Leyendecker U. Penn football poster, a big porcelain U. Penn football lamp (the collector had a matching lamp so now he has a pair), and a 12” plaster figure of a U. Penn football player (which I most hated to give up of the three)…I gave it a lot of thought since it’s so worn. I consulted two collector friends who gave the thumbs up.
On the one hand yes it’s worn and beat up…but on the other hand…you’re 300% sure it’s original from the wear. And speaking of the wear…it would have to be the most mysterious statue I’ve ever dealt with. Reason being…how could it have gotten that worn…And the arm is cracked…hey It’s bronze...I don’t think I’ve ever heard of bronze cracking…and besides that how could it have gotten cracked downward the way it is…Bronze is extremely strong stuff…And then there’s the base…How in the world could the paint have gotten that much wear and yet the red marble base is essentially perfect!....puzzling and a mystery. To me it looks like it has been clanging around in a toy box full of toys for about three generations...Like there parents let them play with it as a toy...Another thing I'll mention is the catchers mask is missing. You'll see the featured one has the mask...They were so finely crafted you could remove them!
But being I already had three other Vienna sports bronzes it fit in perfectly with them…a billiards one…two joined boxers…and a group of three soccer players going for the ball…I found that soccer one at the Hillsborough Antiques show about 20 years ago and had to throw down some very serious money to get it…The lady was an experienced antiques dealer from the east coast and knew what she had!…Out of the zillions of Vienna bronzes produced during the late 19th century to the late 1930’s very few sports ones were made.
In all the years I’ve known of the one I did the feature on…I never stopped to think about the P on the batters cap…And there’s an H on the catchers, (cap worn backwards). I understand that under the bronze base of mine, the words “Harvard and Pennsylvania” is written. I hate to disturb it though so haven’t looked. To add more to the mystery...Because the other one I featured also had the same P on the cap...I would speculate that perhaps some well heeled parent of a Harvard or Penn student had them made special order...
Auction House Description:
Exceedingly scarce antique cast metal baseball player statue titled "Two Strikes" showing a batter and a catcher. Circa 1890s. Much of the original paint remains, including the letter P on the batter and the letter H on the catcher. When metal statue was removed from base the words "Harvard and Pennsylvania" were found written under the metal baseplate, indicating that the players depict a game between University of Pennsylvania Quakers and Harvard Crimson, both Ivy League schools. Good condition with original base plaque and minor damage to the bat. Measures 6 1/2" tall.
Another interesting tid-bit is one day I was thumbing thru a book on Victorian Interiors...and guess what I spotted in a c1905 photo...see at very bottom this post...
lll
-
WE ASKED...THE COMMENTS CAME -
If that postcard was a hurricane
it wouldn't even be
a
category one...borrr-ing!
- Brad Pit
That postcard may have sold
on our site but we take no
responsibility for it...
- eBay Press Secretary
Carlton
usually has a
discerning eye...but he really blew it on that postcard...
- Itzo Harshakimi, Liaison Japanese Cultural Affairs
Carlton's
c1912 postcard acquisition
We have no time for
this mans collecting
habits....
but that is one pathetic looking
postcard...No further comment...
- White House Press Relations
Carlton who?...
- Henry Kissenger,
Former Secretary of State
We applaud Carlton's recent
postcard
acquisition of the man
walking on the dock...
- Richard Boredstein, American
Center for the Mundane
-
WE ASKED...THE COMMENTS CAME -
If that postcard was a hurricane
it wouldn't even be
a
category one...borrr-ing!
- Brad Pit
Carlton
usually has a
discerning eye...but he really blew it on that postcard...
- Itzo Harshakimi, Liaison Japanese Cultural Affairs
Carlton who?...
- Henry Kissenger, Former Secretary of State
We have no time for
this mans collecting
habits....
but that is one pathetic looking
postcard...No further comment...
- White House Press Relations
That postcard may have sold
on our site but we take no
responsibility for it...
- eBay Press Secretary
We applaud Carlton's recent
postcard
acquisition of the man
walking on the dock...
- Richard Boredstein, American
Center for the Mundane
-
WE ASKED...THE COMMENTS CAME -
If that postcard was a hurricane
it wouldn't even be
a
category one...borrr-ing!
- Brad Pit
That postcard may have sold
on our site but we take no
responsibility for it...
- eBay Press Secretary
Carlton
usually has a
discerning eye...but he really blew it on that postcard...
- Itzo Harshakimi, Liaison Japanese Cultural Affairs
We have no time for
this mans collecting
habits....
but that is one pathetic looking
postcard...No further comment...
- White House Press Relations
Carlton who?...
- Henry Kissenger,
Former Secretary of State
We applaud Carlton's recent
postcard
acquisition of the man
walking on the dock...
- Richard Boredstein, American
Center for the Mundane
If that postcard was a hurricane
it wouldn't even be
a
category one...borrr-ing!
- Brad Pit
That postcard may have sold
on our site but we take no
responsibility for it...
- eBay Press Secretary
11/21/20
- It's been a while since I've done any new posts...but that
doesn't mean I haven't been active...active phew!...yes I've
certainly been active...I don't even know where to begin...Let's
start with a hum-dinger...this c1890 Vienna bronze of a batter
and catcher...Note; this Vienna baseball bronze has been called
up to active duty as a "Sports Antique of the Week"
feature.
lassic
power boating racing memorabila is one of the
toughest to find of sports display antiques...And
for being a rather obscure area of
collecting...typically when you do finally find it,
it's remarkably pricey! Because it's so rare, the
greater it is the more important it is to bite the
bullet and get it....Which brings us to this week's
feature...a c1930 Chris-Craft factory sales book
that was given to dealers...or in this case a
potential dealer. It all began about a month ago.
WoodyBoater.com's did a feature on the one you see
here...Essentialy Matt their Editor-in-Chief outed
it on eBay...Which thing I usually hate to
see...However...I'd have never seen it had I not
read about it on WoodyBoater.com...
Photos
of the 2003 and 2004 Nationals have been reinstalled and are again
viewable
2003
NATIONAL STORY - CLICK PHOTO
2004
NATIONAL STORY - CLICK PHOTO
Erastus Flavel Beadle1821-1894 was born in Oswego County, New
York. He began a long
career in publishing periodicals in Buffalo N.Y.. His brother Irwin partnered
with him at times until Irwin sold his interest to Robert Adams. Erastus
and company moved to New York City in 1858 where he continued his publishing empire.
There he published numerous magazines on such varied subjects as cooking, etiquette,
romance, and speeches.
Frontiersman, wild
west, and other manly pursuits were a mainstay. During this stage of seeing what
worked and what the public wanted he began a format called the Dime Novel. The term dime novel came to be used as the catch phrase for all modest priced pulp
fiction booklets. His publishing business was very
successful specializing in subjects that appealed to the common man. In 1861 he started a yearly series called the "Beadle's Dime Base-Ball Player" to capitalize on the new up and coming sport. Henry Chadwick was hired as the editor and the series ran until 1881.
It is considered the first baseball guide.
Royal
Aquarium Westminster, London Nov. 13-15th 1894
-
WON BY -
Smartt's
Punch
Owned
by Mr. Willian George Smartt
Period
Engraving of
Smartt's
Punch
Willian George Smartt,
Owner
Smartt's
Punch
spotted
this c1894 bulldog trophy at the 2012 Hillsborough
Antiques Show in San Mateo CA. The dealer was asking
$1,500.00. I ended up buying a rare c1890 Bicycle Humidor
at the same show for $1,000.00 so couldn't afford it. But
it haunted me afterwards. Later I emailed the dealer and
said I'd buy it for the $1,500.00 if she still had it at
the next Hillsborough Show...When I saw her at the next
show she said it sold to a judge at another show in
Fresno.
The
bulldog originated in England in the 1500's and were bred
for the sport of "bull baiting". Bull baiting
was outlawed in England in the early 1800's by passage of
the Cruelty to Animals Act 1835.
The first Bulldog show put on by the South London Bulldog
Club at the Royal Aquarium Westminster was in 1873.
Poking
around the internet I located some published references to
the show, seen below. Also below, I was also able to
locate a biography of the sculptor of this trophy, a Mr. Richard Hewitt Moore.
I also found an 1895 reference to a bulldog sired by
Smartt's Punch, named "Baron Killarney" whelped
(born) Sept. 28th 1893, that was brought to the United
States. A person named E.K. Austin of New York City was
listed as the owner breeder in the 1896 American Kennel Club Stud Book, Volume 12
1894
Announcment
1894
Announcment
Cell
Phone shot
at
Hillsborough
c1894
Period Photo
Smartt
Punch's Offspring in U.S.A
Sculptor
of Trophy:
Richard Hewitt Moore (R H Moore) was from Northleach in Oxfordshire and on leaving school he apprenticed as a wood engraver but eventually gave up this medium feeling the technique too confining.
He took up drawing as a profession, studying the figure and portraiture, then moving on to animal studies before almost exclusively devoting himself to dogs.
In common with the likes of Arthur Wardle, Cecil Aldin, Louis Wain and others, Moore’s early years as a commercial artist were spent recording scenes at dog shows, livestock shows and country pursuits for such publications as The Stock-Keeper, Sporting and Dramatic News and The Illustrated London News.
He illustrated numerous books, including C H Lane’s All About Dogs published in 1900.
The 87 illustrations of the celebrated champions of the time are the most complete source for Moore’s illustrative work.
Moore was also an accomplished sculptor who specialised in trophies. The Great Dane Club has a challenge trophy with a bronze cropped Great Dane mounted standing on the plinth and the English Setter Club a particularly impressive group that was awarded for best brace at a trial. This features a Setter and Pointer in naturalistic pose, cast in silver and made by the Goldsmiths and Silversmiths Company in 1896.
Possibly the most impressive trophy he sculpted depicted the final of the 1890 Waterloo Cup, Fullerton beating N Dunn’s
Downpour, see above
Dr.
John Gennantonio and family in Paris June 2014
Left
to right, wife Peggy, daughter Isabella, son John Jr., John G.
```````
C1890
RAH
RAH TOBACCO POUCH
Rah
Rah Tobacco Pouch in lineup
I
picked up this tobacco pouch out of a large collection of rare
tobacco packs that Hunt Auctions had in their February 2012
monthly auction. The packs were of great interest to baseball card
collectors because the cigarette companies issued baseball cards
(and non baseball cards) and many of the packs are very hard to
find. I was a little surprised Hunt offered them in their monthly
auction as opposed to one of their Live Auctions. It was the
largest cigarette pack collections I'd ever seen.
ll
```````
As
Part of the May 2011 Brimfield Antiques Fair Story
in
Stockton. I had just gotten into collecting sports antiques and it was all very
new. I barely knew anything about Stagg but the medals were modestly priced so I
bought them. I got an an eyeful when I researched Stagg. I learned he had been a
star football and baseball player at Yale from 1884 to 1889. After graduating
from Yale he gained national recognition as head football coach at University of
Chicago and later at University of the Pacific in Stockton. Like I say I didn't
know much back then but I did know football started in the east and vagually
knew Yale was prominent in it's history...and then I started connecting the
dots......So the Stagg family had some medals...what else did they have I
thought...I called information for Stockton and asked for any listings named
Stagg...I called a number and an older sounding gentlman answered...I'm looking
for the family of Amos Alonzo Stagg I said....Yes I'm Paul Stagg, Amos Alonzo
Stagg was my father the man said, how can I help you....My name's Carlton
Hendricks and I bought some medals I was told were your fathers I said...and I
was wondering if you could look at them to confirm they were your dad's I
said....Well I probably wouldn't recognize them he had so much stuff but I'd be
happy to look at them....OK I said and we set a time for me to come to his
home...You wouldn't happen to have any old football cleats your dad wore would
you I asked...he chuckled, no he said, but I'll look around if I still have
anything of his...BINGO...I got to his home and it was just a modest home in a
nice shady neighborhood...very average but nice and pleasant...He met me at the
door and kind of looked me over for a second then said OK come on in the
kitchen...as I came in the front door there was a vintage photo of his dad right
as you enter that looked like he was power walking....So we sat down at one of
those 1950's chrome and formica dinning tables that had a box sitting on it....I
think his wife was puttering around the kitchen. I showed him the medals but he
didn't recognize them...Then he started going thru the box pulling stuff out one
at at time and looking over each item....you can have this he'd say and hand me
some medal or box and such...but I better keep this he'd say...and that went on
for a little while until I saw a photo of what looked like some absolutly
incredible bookends, each was a circa 1920's football player pushing the book,
big and bold like nothing I'd even imagined....Even at that early stage in my
collecting my eyebrows went up...and I looked at him...wow those are incredible
I said...and without saying anything he gets up and says..follow me....and he
walked me down the hallway to a bedroom and opened the door...and there on top
of an antique wood dresser were the bookends....I was in his house and he was
being exceptionaly nice to me so there was no way to try to buy them right then
and there...I just expressed how much I liked them and we walked back to the
kitchen...but I just could help at least hinting so I very nicely said...ya know
if you ever did want to sell those I'd certainly be interested I said...and I
remember he kind of chuckled and jested...well you know if I sold those I might
forget my dad was a football coach....and I of course chuckled back and I left
for home a little latter
had
one of the most distiguished coaching careers
so
I bought them
and
a dealer had some medals he I was a newbie collector, and had probably
been collecting about six. As matter fact I bought my first dog ear
leather football helmet at that very show. So the medals were reasonably priced
and I bought them. I had heard of Amos Alonzo Stagg, and the dealer told me he
had coached at University of the Pacific in Stockton but that was about all I
knew. Later I went to my local library to research Stagg. I got an an eyeful. I
learned he had been a star football and baseball player at Yale from 1884 to
1889. After graduating from Yale he had one of the most distiguished coaching
careers
bought
some sports medals at an antiques show in Sacramento California. The dealer said
they had come from the family of Amos Alonzo Stagg in Stockton.
The finish appeared oxidized....which
brings us to the subject of conservation.
First
of all we're talking about silver....the medium of which
there is no right answer. When you polish silver or silver
plate trophies you rub the silver away, which can deplete
the definition of engraving and eventually wear away the enhancements
that make the work special. If you don't polish, the work
slowly becomes unsightly from oxidation....You've heard of a
win win situation?...Well silver's a lose lose. The best you
can do is slow down oxidation by limiting exposure to air.
You can varnish silver which seals it but that's
tricky....and is akin to sealing it in a Lucite cube...But
this isn't the
place to get into a lengthy discussion of
silver conservation...so I'll cut to the chase...The double
glass doors to the display cases which hold the silver or
silver plate trophies in the Lee Family Hall of
Athletic History have about 1/2 inch gaps between them when
closed, which allows air and air particle transfer to the
trophies. The doors should seal to
prevent that. The saving grace is deterioration is a slow
process and Lee Hall visitors should be able to enjoy the
trophies for many decades.....it's the future generations
that would be subject to conservation breaches. Nationally
recognized silver authority Judy
Redfield is an acquaintance who happens to be a Harvard alum.
I'm sure she would find this interesting.
trophies for many decades.....it's the future generations
that would be subject to conservation breaches. Nationally
recognized silver authority Judy
Redfield is an acquaintance
trophies for many decades.....it's the future generations
that would be subject to conservation breaches. Nationally
recognized silver authority Judy
Redfield is an acquaintance
trophies for many decades.....it's the future generations
that would be subject to conservation breaches. Nationally
recognized silver authority Judy
Redfield is an acquaintance
1
1
Does
the remarkable resemblance lead you to think the designer of our flask
copied or was inspired, or influenced by this print and used it as a
model? Well, when I began writing this I felt certain that was the case.
However, after I thought I'd finished this story and had posted it, I
went to add some more information and stumbled onto something that made
it impossible.
There
is one very weighty caveat to the relationship between our flask and the
Knapp lithograph. That is; there could not have been one. Yes you read
that correctly...there could not have been any direct relationship
between our flask and the "Foot Ball" lithograph produced by
the Knapp Lithographic concern
I
must add...it's enough to throw a fit over when I thought I had it all
contained nice and neat and put to bed....According to the 1978
definitive book on the subject, "Tiffany Silver" by Charles H.
Carpenter, the "M" within the markings on our flask stands for
"Moore". Specifically Mr. Edward C. Moore who was head of
Tiffany's silver division for more than twenty three years, from
May 1st 1868 until his death August 24th 1891
to
read interesting details about the Yale fence,
what became of it, and a personal account by a
very reliable source, on which Yale athletes
could have been included on the cards
....There was always some wandering
musician who played, or a boot-black who shone
for five cents, or an influx of grads. up from
New York, or the passing of a pretty girl, to
create a diversion on the old fence. It was the center
of the good-hearted, manly, democratic
Yale.....
I
saw this at the 2003 National Sports Collectors Convention
in Atlantic City in the Hunt Auctions booth. I believe
it's the only example I've seen as I can't recall another,
making it pretty rare. Hunt sold
it in their February 2004 auction, Lot 271, for $650.00. In the
catalog description it says it was the only one they had seen.
While preparing this feature I found a photo I had of an actual
package of Pinch Hit, see below: