1865 and 1866 Harper’s Woodcut Prints Featuring the Atlantics, Athletics or Both.
Lot 55. 1865 and 1866 Harper’s Woodcut Prints Featuring the Atlantics, Athletics or Both. CORRECTED INFORMATION: The Galvin mentioned below is not Pud. It appears to be John Galvin, who played also for the Brooklyn Atlantics of the National Association in 1872. These are prints two, three and four in Harper’s baseball woodcut universe. Harper’s first baseball woodcut appeared in 1859. Among these three, Nov. 18, 1865 is the earliest. Titled “Base-Ball Match Between the ‘Athletics’, of Philadelphia, PA., and the ‘Atlantics,’ of Brooklyn, N.Y., Played at Philadelphia, October 30, 1865,” it features J. B. Beale artwork of the first of two championship games. The Brooklyn team defeated the Philadelphia nine in games played in each city. The woodcut displays well with a border chip and tear; the page has been folded horizontally. In the Nov. 25, 1865 issue, nine portraits of Atlantic players are shown in a composite titled “‘Champion Nine’ of the Atlantic Base-Ball Club of Brooklyn, L.I., 1865.” Extremely nice three-quarter-page example with a light horizontal crease. The team includes Galvin, Thomas Pratt and apparently Pop Smith. There is a brief article on the Atlantics-Athletics series. The two teams met again in a championship series in 1866. Both teams are shown in a full-page of the Nov. 3, 1866 issue. The woodcut is titled “The ‘Atlantic’ Base-Ball Club of Brooklyn, and the ‘Athletic’ of Philadelphia.” Very clean, attractive example with a couple of border tears and no major creases. Current Bid $83.
