This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/20/2011
Albert Spalding Jr. greatly contributed to the development of professional baseball as a star pitcher, baseball executive, and as a sporting-goods entrepreneur. He founded his Spalding sporting goods company in 1876 while starring as a pitcher and manager of the Chicago White Stockings. The company standardized early baseballs and developed the style of the modern baseball bat with a bulge or “knob” at its apex. In 1892, Spalding acquired Wright & Ditson and A. J. Reach, both rival sporting goods companies. One of the game's most powerful and influential leaders for decades, Spalding’s conglomerate thrives to this day as one of the largest sporting goods manufacturer in the world.
Offered here is one of the most rare and impressive pieces of early Spalding advertising we have seen. Measuring 13 ¼” by 21 ¼”, this rigid cardboard display can be dated to around the turn of the century based on the uniform styles of the two featured baseball players, the various equipment displayed at the bottom and the rendering of the Spalding Base Ball Guide at bottom center. The coloration and design of the lithographic imagery is outstanding with the central image mostly unaffected by condition defects other than some foxing and age toning. The right and bottom edges have been slightly trimmed with the rough cut resulting in some chipping. Two original metal eyelets at the top were formerly utilized to hang the piece by a cord. This extraordinary rarity was discovered in a vintage frame where it was being utilized as a backing for a period art print. This explains the cutting of the edges to accommodate the size of the frame and also explains it’s excellent overall state of preservation.