Lot # 38: Circa 1887 Chicago White Stockings Team Cabinet with Cap Anson and John Clarkson

Exceedingly rare team cabinet card capturing 15 members of the Chicago White Stockings, circa 1887. Each of the formally attired players is pictured in a bust-length image and has been identified in print next to his respective photo. The players represented here are Cap Anson, John Clarkson, Billy Sunday, Ned Williamson, Marty Sullivan, Tom Burns, Fred Pfeffer, Shadow Pyle, Jimmy Ryan, Dell Darling, Tom Daly, Silver Flint, Lou Hardie, Jocko Flynn, and Mark Baldwin. Produced by the Stevens Art Studio of Chicago, Illinois, as noted by the printing along the base of the mount and on the reverse. Although the cabinet is not dated, all of the players pictured here played with Chicago in 1887, with the exception of Hardie (1886 only). As such, we can only assume it was issued prior to the start of the 1887 season (before Hardie was cut from the team; he did not play in the Major Leagues again until 1890). This is the only example of this particular Chicago White Stockings team cabinet we have ever seen; however, some of the portrait images featured here were also used on other White Stockings cabinet photos produced by Stevens in subsequent years. The cabinet card (4.25 x 6.5 inches), while technically in Excellent condition due to some minor wear to the gold-trimmed border, is Near Mint in its overall appearance and represents one of the finest 1880s Chicago cabinet photos we have ever handled.