LOT #80075 |
Sold on Feb 25, 2017 for: Not Sold
Circa 1865 Brooklyn Atlantics Carte-de-Visite (CDV), SGC Authentic....
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Description
One of just two known to exist!
Circa 1865 Brooklyn Atlantics Carte-de-Visite (CDV), SGC Authentic. It's one of the most famous hobby "finds" of the past decade, getting its fifteen minutes of fame in newspapers and television broadcasts nationwide in early 2013. A man browsing an antiques shop in a small Maine town on the Canadian border located the supremely rare Civil War-era image in an ancient photo album and purchased it for less than $100, along with some old Coca-Cola bottles and a couple of oak chairs. It was only after some research into the unusual sepia-toned CDV that the elite significance of the relic came into focus.The "Williamson, Brooklyn" studio stamping at the right edge of the mount was a key clue in the ultimate identification of the subject as the Atlantic Base Ball Club of Brooklyn, considered the first Champion of our national pastime, as well as the sport's first dynasty. The Atlantics served as a founding member of the sport's first organized league, the National Association of Base Ball Players, and held the Championship from 1859 through the war-shortened season of 1861 before finally surrendering supremacy to archrival Eckford of Brooklyn in 1862.
The Library of Congress reports that they are aware of just one other example of this image, which resides in their own collection, a fact that quite clearly establishes this lot offering as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. For Heritage Auction regulars, the piece will almost certainly recall a similar offering in our July 2015 Platinum Night auction, an even earlier team photo that had been passed down through the family of Archibald McMahon, an outfielder for the 1860 edition. That extraordinary relic commanded a winning bid of $179,250.
This slightly later specimen utilizes the same semi-circular team pose, with seated players at each end and standing players arranged by height to a peak at the center. The classic bib-front uniform format of the era is on display in each, with the presented specimen adding a pair of thick-handled bats to the aesthetics. This card appears to be very slightly trimmed from the original 4x2.5" dimensions shared by each. Reverse of the card bears the mark of Brooklyn's "C.H. Williamson's Photographic Portrait Gallery," just three miles from the Capitoline Grounds where the Atlantics hosted home games.
Beyond the aforementioned trimming, we have only a small area of toning to the obverse mount (clear of the image itself), and general age-tanning throughout to conclude our condition report. Certainly its fifteen decades of residence within a photo album was the key to its fine state of preservation today. A thrilling opportunity to own a card that has been identified, correctly or incorrectly, as the very first "baseball card."
Auction Info
2017 February 25 - 26 Platinum Night Sports Collectibles Catalog Auction - Dallas #7185 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
February, 2017
25th-26th
Saturday-Sunday
Internet/Mail Bids: 4
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 2,052
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
20% of the successful bid per lot.
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