This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/5/2007
This panorama photo from the 1927 Opening Game of the Eastern Colored League features two of the powerhouse Negro League teams from “blackball’s” golden era, the Hilldale Baseball Club and the Cuban Stars. Recent Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Alex Pompez (standing in the center, to the right of the uniformed officer) owned the touring Cuban Stars ball club. His team swept the opening three game series against their rival Hilldale club on the ballpark at Mayo Island Park in Richmond, Virginia, the site of this very rare photograph. The pictured 1927 Cuban Stars featured superb players such as Hall of Famer Martin Dihigo (standing fourth from the right), the only man ever inducted in four different countries' Baseball Halls of Fame, plus great Cuban stars Alexandro Oms (standing eight from the right) and Pablo Mesa (to the left of Dihigo). Historians have included this trio among the greatest outfielders of all time. Members of the Hilldales are likewise impressive and include Otto Briggs (standing second from the left), Frank Warfield (next left), Nip Winters (farthest Hilldale in uniform) and the team owner, the legendary Ed Bolden (to the right of Winters). The panorama measures 19" by 5 1/2" and there is lettering in the lower left hand corner indicating that the photo was taken by “The Browns of Richmond, Virginia”. The image quality of the photo is impressive in spite structural damage that includes multiple creases (one resulting in a small area of separation) and a small piece of the lower left corner missing.
Estimate: $3,000-5,000