1887-1889 Harry Wright Tintype SGC Authentic

Extremely rare, and possibly unique, original tintype dating to the late 19th century featuring pioneer Hall of Famer Harry Wright. Harry Wright ranks among the most influential baseball figures of the nineteenth century. In 1869 he founded and managed the Cincinnati Red Stockings, baseball’s first all-professional team. He later managed Boston’s entry in both the National Association and National League, winning seven league titles combined over the course of eleven seasons with the club. He also enjoyed successful runs as manager of Providence and Philadelphia, before retiring in 1893. Wright is credited with developing a number of important innovations still in use today including the use of hand signals to his players, the constant repositioning of fielders in response to batter’s tendencies, pre-game batting and fielding practice, and the use of statistics with regard to managerial strategy. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1953. The tintype, which is the only one of Wright we have encountered, features him in a seated pose, dating to his time as a manager and executive. Encapsulated as Authentic by SGC.