1850.61
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A Drawing of Ballplaying in New York -- in the area where Central Park would later be, possibly??
| Salience | Noteworthy |
|---|---|
| Tags | |
| Location | |
| City/State/Country: | New York, NY, United States |
| Modern Address | |
| Game | |
| Immediacy of Report | Contemporary |
| Age of Players | AdultAdult |
| Holiday | |
| Notables | |
| Text | This depiction of ballplaying appeared in a New York paper illustration on June 5, 1850. Its main subject is the activity of "Sunday Sports" -- idly smoking, gambling. In middle distance some form of ballplaying -- or conceivably base ball, conceivably an old-cat version . . . or perhaps a simpler fungo-based pastime? -- is under way among 3 or 4 players. |
| Sources | The Universe, June 5, 1850. |
| Warning | |
| Comment | John Thorn, 11/15/2022: "Just now I stumbled upon a new (to me and I presume others) illustration of baseball play in New York, from The Universe, June 1, 1850 (a weekly) . . ." He later surmised: "We are looking south toward the inhabited part of the city, so this may be the region that would become Central Park. The wights are smoking and gambling and otherwise violating the Sabbath, I expect . . . thus "Sunday Sports."
From David Block, 11/15/2022: "Excellent! This may be the earliest illustration of baseball to appear in an American newspaper. It is akin to the simple engravings of baseball-like activity found in chapbooks and school readers of the era." From Bruce Allardice, 11/16/2022:
"Central Park was not even authorized until 3 years after this image was published.
"At best, it could be titled "baseball in the area that later became Central Park"--but even that is speculation as to the field portrayed. The "suburbs" title and absence of intervening bodies of water suggest that the view is looking south from somewhere in north Manhattan Island. BTW could the bat-ball game portrayed be old cat rather than baseball?"
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| Query | Do you have other interpretations of the game as depicted? Could that object out near the tree be a baserunning post . . . or a even a wicket? Edit with form to add a query |
| Source Image | |
| External Number | |
| Submitted by | John Thorn |
| Submission Note | Posting to 19CBB group, 11/15/2022 |
| Has Supplemental Text |
1850.61 A Drawing of Ballplaying in New York -- in the area where Central Park would later be, possibly??"
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