1866 Newberry & Solanders Rock Island Wapellos Team Set 13 Different Reprints

Description: 1866 Rock Island Wapellos Team Set 13 Different CDVs -- Earliest Complete Set of Baseball CardsAll cards (cartes de visite or CDVs) employ original, unretouched photographs of the players mouted on a thicker paper/cardboard backing. CDVs were first utilized in France around 1850 and remained popular into the early 20th century. On the back of each card is the name of the manufacturer (Newberry & Solanders, Photographers) and information for ordering additional cards of each player. Also on the back of each card is the player's name, position, and other various notes added by the original owners.Based on newspapers accounts as well as testimony from their opponents, the Rock Island Wapellos were the best Midwestern team in the early days of organized baseball. The team was founded in May of 1866 with the original line-up comprised of the exact players in this 13-card set. They competed until the early 1870s and were disbanded, allegedly, after their "first" loss to a rival team, the Davenport Unions. In reality, however, the Rock Island Wapellos lost approximately 4 to 5 games over their existence while winning at least 100.The players/cards in the set:► C.R. (Charles) Chamberlin, catcher and team captain -- A Rock Island banker and secretary of the Rock Island Building Association. He was the club's last surviving member, dying in November 1932 at age of 84.► William H. Dart, center fielder► Stiles Eggleston, third base -- One of the team founders.► Edgar Gleim, third base -- Perhaps the fastest player on the team and prolific base stealer.► Jim Hodges, left fielder► Phil Mitchell, pitcher/fielder► Charles Platt, pitcher► Harry Platt, second base► George Solander, first base -- A commercial photographer with Newberry & Solanders Photographers. He took the portraits of the team.► Mansfield M. Sturgeon, pitcher/shortstop -- Served two stints in the Illinois Volunteer Infantry and taught school in Milan from 1866 to 1869. He became a prominent attorney whose son, Rollin S. Sturgeon, wrote five Hollywood short films and directed 98 movies.► Mack (Mac) Weiser, right fielder -- The team's premier power hitter.► Dart, Gleim, and William Harper (left fielder) in street clothes -- Photographed by Gayford and Speidel instead of Newberry & Solanders. May not have been part of the original baseball set but still depicts three of the original players on the 1866 team.► The only known period example of a CDV featuring the Trophy balls acquired by the Rock Island Wapellos during their inaugural season. Inscriptions on three of the baseballs can be read quite clearly. One commemorates the first meeting between Rock Island and Davenport (a stunning 118-7 victory for the Wapellos). A second was won by Mansfield Sturgeon for the longest throw in a skills competition among various teams. A third ball was from Rock Island's state tournament victory in Peoria (played from October 17-19, 1866).The Rock Island Wapellos were named after Chief Wapello, a Native American of the Meswaki Tribe. He was well-spoken, friendly, and popular while living in Iowa during his later years. Many streets, landmarks, and towns in Iowa still bear evidence of his presence.Although there have been numerous claims as to the "first" baseball card, there is little question that this group of 12 different players plus one trophy ball card, represents the very first complete baseball card set, comprising all of the starting nine from the first (May 1866) Rock Island Wapellos team. I have accumulated over 4000 images of baseball cards and photos of the mid 1800's to the early 1900's. I will be offering my entire collection of images on ebay. Please check out all of my auctions. I will combine shipping on multiple orders.

Price: 30 USD

Location: Rutledge, Tennessee

End Time: 2024-10-21T15:01:14.000Z

Shipping Cost: 4.63 USD