This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/25/2021
Seventy-four original photographs, with many depicting activity surrounding the historic 1919 World Series and others depicting scenes from season games and World Series through 1925 are presented in this pair of custom leather bound books labeled as having once belonged to the famous collection of Barry Halper. From a bygone era, historic scenes from throughout North America depict countless fans gathered to “watch” the World Series presented on large “player boards” erected for public view on the side of buildings. These photographs were originally assembled by the “Address Standard Ball Player Corp,” of New Bedford, Massachusetts as salesman samples to promote their Magnetic Baseball Player Board to other venues. It was a simpler time during the early part of the twentieth century when before radio baseball fans would get game scores from the late or next day editions of newspapers. In the case of the World Series, fans often clamored to know what was happening at the moment, and in answer to their demands a magnetic player board was developed. The board itself was an elaborate machine that featured the team's lineups on either side of the board with a diamond in the middle and the scoreboard on top. Balls, strikes, and outs were also listed, usually along the bottom. A metal ball on the surface of the diamond, controlled magnetically from behind, would be pitched, batted, and fielded, mimicking the actions of what was actually transpiring on the real field. These large boards, normally sponsored by the local newspaper, would be prominently placed in the center of town or mounted from the news building where they could be seen by thousands of people. Many of the original photographs in these albums depict street scenes from different cities taken of large crowds gathered to “watch” the 1919 World Series play before their eyes. This, of course, was the infamous series which was thrown by the "Black Sox" and all of the familiar names are clearly discernable on many of the magnetic boards including Shoeless “Joe” Jackson, Chick Gandil, Buck Weaver, Swede Risberg, and Ed Cicotte. One photograph shows Babe Ruth in the line-up for the New York Yankees playing against the Philadelphia Nationals. One 7.5 X 11 album titled “1919 Photos Player Board” includes twenty-nine photographs. Forty-five photographs are presented in the 14 X 10.5 album titled “1918-1925 Player Board World Series.” Photos measure in the size range between 3.5 X 4.5 and 10 X 8. Each photo is mounted on a black album page with some pages having photos mounted back to back on the same page and other pages displaying two or more smaller photos mounted on the same side of a page. Photos vary from fair to good condition with many notated by hand with location or other comment. Photos are included from more than thirty cities, including: New Bedford, Mass.; Tampa, Fla.; Springfield, Ohio; Clarksburg, W. Va.; Lynn, Mass.; Atlantic City, N.J.; Hamilton, Ohio; Waterbury, Conn.; Sharon, Pa.; Newport, R.I.; Fitchburg, Mass; Salt Lake City, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Houston, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Hartford, Long Beach, Ca.; Akron; and in Canada: Winnepeg, Manitoba and in Sydney Australia. This is a rare opportunity to acquire such an archive of great historical significance. Comes with a Gotta Have Rock & Roll Certificate of Authenticity.