1880s Baseball Cabinet Card Photo Team \"Crystals\" Newark NY (Conklin Studios) For Sale

Antique1880\'s Baseball Cabinet Card Photograph of Amateur Baseball Team, Newark, NY (Wayne County)

Original sepia-toned cabinet card photograph, circa 1898-1905, showing four young ballplayers posed in a studio setting: three wearing jerseys lettered *\"W.W.W.\" (two standing, one seated) and one wearing a \"CRYSTALS\" jersey (seated, holding a baseball). All four wear period pillbox-style striped caps, knee-high socks with garters, and high-top laced cleats typical of amateur ball clubs of the era.

*This is an acronym for a localized club operating in the Wayne County circuit at the time. It was very common for village teams of this era to be named after neighboring boundaries, such as a combination like the \"Williams - Wolcott - Williamson\" traveling clubs. The \"CRYSTALS\" name may possibly relate to the Crystal Springs resort area in the Finger Lakes region near Wayne County, NY.

The mount is a classic cabinet card with rounded corners and an embossed decorative scroll border. The photographer\'s blindstamp - \"Mrs. C. Conklin, Newark, N.Y.\" - is embossed in the lower right of the mount front. Newark here refers to the village in Wayne County, New York, not Newark, NJ. Note: Woman run photography studios were relatively uncommon for this period. Photographer Alice Mae (Sheldon) Conklin purchased this Union Street studio from Albert L. Russell in July 1898 and ran it under her own name for at least 17 years, which sets a firm earliest possible date for this card.

In the 1890s, local town baseball games were major community events, and rivalries between neighboring communities were fierce. However, players from opposing teams or combined \"all-star\" traveling clubs frequently mingled after big holiday tournaments. It was a popular custom for players to walk together into a prominent local studio -like Mrs. Conklin\'s-while still dressed in their grass-stained field uniforms to capture a commemorative photoof their athletic prime. This image serves as a fantastic visual record of the foundation of Wayne County’s deep-rooted obsession with the sport. Be sure to view our other listings for more original late 1800s to early 1900s baseball photographs! Shipping & Payment: Item ships within 1 business day of payment - securely packaged. Tracking provided on all shipments. Payment via checkout only. Feel free to message with any questions.