LOT Old Heritage Auctions  /  2006 October Signature Sports Auction #705  / 

19591

1894 Baltimore Orioles Baseball Club Large Silk

Currency:USD Category:Sports - Cards & Fan Shop Start Price:850.00 USD Estimated At:2,000.00 - 4,000.00 USD
1894 Baltimore Orioles Baseball Club Large Silk
<B>1894 Baltimore Orioles Baseball Club Oversized Championship Silk.</B></I> One of the rarest and most desirable pieces of 19th century baseball memorabilia to reach the auction block in recent memory. This exceptionally scarce artifact would only have been issued to members of this storied pennant-winning squad (and perhaps a few V.I.P.'s), so one must assume that the theoretical surviving supply is minute. The delicacy of the piece itself, measuring seventeen inches on each side and constructed of paper-thin fabric, almost demands such an assertion. The fact that even a single such piece has survived eleven decades of life violates all laws of probability, and the fantastic condition of our offering suggests a long and lonely life tucked away in a dry attic and far from light, moisture and human hands. A few scattered areas of staining must be forgiven, considering that most textiles from this era are found in tatters today. The condition is so remarkable that we almost forget the brilliance of the piece itself, picturing sixteen members in individual vignettes, each identified by surname, of one of the 19th century's most famous ballclubs. Text at upper left reads, "1894 Champions, Baltimore Baseball Club" with a flag/pennant motif. Note the Hall of Fame talent: Wilbert Robinson, Dan Brouthers, Hughie Jennings, Kid Gleason, Wee Willie Keeler, Joe Kelley and manager Ned Hanlon. Though notorious for bending the rules of the game, from burying cinderblocks in front of home plate to achieve the famed high-sailing "Baltimore Chop" ground balls, to tripping opposing players as they rounded the bases, the '94 Orioles rank in most baseball historians' estimation as one of the most talented clubs ever assembled.
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