Historic Newspapers: Newspapers with Baseball Content

NEW-YORK TIMES, New York, November 10, 1870  On page 3 under "Base-Ball" is a report: "The New-Jersey Base-Ball Convention--Officers and Committees."
This report about the fourth annual Convention includes a list of the various clubs and their respective delegates who attended the convention, as well as the names of the new officers who were elected (at the convention).
The report relates, that after the election, there was discussion about various issues, plus mention that: "A motion…

HARPER'S WEEKLY, New York, July 25, 1874  Although this issue includes many very nice & displayable prints, by far the most desirable would be the great full page captioned: "International Base-Ball -- The Philadelphia Athletics" which shows individual, full-figure illustrations of the baseball players in uniform, most with a bat or ball in hand. A very displayable item for any baseball collector.
The full ftpg. print is by the famed Frenzeny & Tavernier, captioned: "A Saturday Noon In A…

WILKES' SPIRIT OF THE TIMES, New York, Jan. 14, 1860  

* John C. Heenan vs. Tom Sayers
* First World boxing championship match

It is subtitled in the masthead: "A Chronicle of the Turf, Field Sports, Literature and the Stage". 
Inside has most a page taken up with: "Life And Battles Of Tom Sayers--Seventh Fight of Tom Sayers" which is followed by: "Eighth Fight of Tom Sayers".
Additionally, there is much on the coming match with: "The Championship" "Arrival of Heenan's…

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN SUPPLEMENT, New York, Sept. 15, 1883  The title is a bit of a misnomer as this was actually a separate, stand-alone publication, not a supplement to the regular title.
Inside has a fascinating article headed: "Base Ball Science" which begins: "We are in receipt of several communications relative to the question o whether a projectile can be thrown so as to describe a horizontal curve during flight...", or in baseball parlance: a curve ball.
There are eight illustrations…

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN SUPPLEMENT, New York, Sept. 15, 1883  The title is a bit of a misnomer as this was actually a separate, stand-alone publication, not a supplement to the regular title.
Inside has a fascinating article headed: "Base Ball Science" which begins: "We are in receipt of several communications relative to the question o whether a projectile can be thrown so as to describe a horizontal curve during flight...", or in baseball parlance: a curve ball.
There are eight illustrations…

HARPER'S WEEKLY, New York, October 14, 1882  The full ftpg. is a political print by Thomas Nast: "The New Angelic Flying Machine". Inside has a fullpg. print showing: "The Rival Teams--Mr. Work's 'Dick Swiveller' and 'Edward' and Mr. Vanderbilt's 'Earlyl Rose' and 'Aldine' " showing two in a buggy race. Two prints of: "The City of William Penn"; a nice fullpg. of: "The Pastor's Visit" showing a minister visiting an African-American family. Another fullpg. shows: "A Fox Hunt on the Newport…

FRANK LESLIE'S ILLUSTRATED, New York, Aug. 31, 1889  The full front page is a nice print: "At Lake George Landing--Saluting the Passengers".
But likely the most significant print is a great full page: "A Base-Ball Incident--Caught Between The Bases" which shows a player caught in a rundown.
Other good prints include a half page: "Gioca Di Bocci--Summer Afternoon Scene at an Italian Resort on Staten Island", a rare print showing the sport of Bocce Ball; a great full page print: "Fishing In…

HARPER'S WEEKLY, New York, May 3, 1890  The standard portion of this issue (the first 8 images) has some nice prints which include a full ftpg: "Working A Hotchkiss Gun", a nice full page: "Tarpon Fishing", another fullpg. view of: "La Salle Street, Chicago..." "Clinton Hall, Astor Place, New York. The doublepage centerfold is: "Antony Van Corlear, the Trumpeter". Complete in 16 pages.

The sought-after Supplement (the last four images), which is not included at this price, contains key…

HARPER'S WEEKLY, New York, October 20, 1888  An inside page has full-length portraits of Timothy J. Keefe, Pitcher & Williams Ewing captioned: "The Winning Battery Of The New York Base-Ball Team." Each portrait measures about 6 3/4 4 1/4 inches. Both players are members of the Baseball Hall of Fame. There is also a companion article: "The Base-Ball Season".
Other prints include a full ftpg. portrait of "Hon. Abram S. Hewitt, Mayor of New York", a fullpg. montage: "The Great Industrial &…

HARPER'S WEEKLY, New York, Nov. 18, 1865  Certainly the most desired print is the half page vertical print showing a baseball game in action, and showing the full expanse of the field with crowd. The caption reads: "Base-Ball Match Between the 'Athletics' of Philadelphia, Pa. and the 'Atlantics' of Brooklyn, N.Y., Played at Philadelphia, Oct. 30, 1865." There is also a related--albeit short--article on the game as well, titled: "The Base-Ball Match at Philadelphia."
Other prints within the…

HARPER'S WEEKLY, New York,  Oct. 26, 1867  The most significant print in the issue is a nice, nearly half page print captioned: "The Champion Nine of the Union Base-Ball Club of Morrisania, New York" showing nine members of the baseball team in uniform, two members holding bats and another what appears to be a catcher's mask.  There is a related article titled: "The Base-Ball Championship" on the facing page.
The front page shows: "The Music of the Street--The Organ Grinder".  Other prints…

HARPER'S WEEKLY, New York, Nov. 25, 1865  Certainly the prime feature of this illustrated newspaper is the very nice three-quarter page print captioned: "Champion Nine of the Atlantic Base-Ball Club of Brooklyn, L.I., 1865" showing named prints of each of the baseball players. There is a brief article on them as well titled: "The Atlantic Base-Ball Club."
Other prints within include a front page print of the: "Inauguration of the Monument Dedicated to the Fallen Heroes of Erie County, at…

HARPER'S WEEKLY, New York, July 2, 1870  Certainly the prime feature of this issue is the upper half of a doublepage centerfold which shows an expansive view of a baseball game in progress, between the Brooklyn Atlantics and the Cincinnati Red Stockings. The caption reads: "Base Ball.--The Match Between the 'Red Stockings' and the 'Atlantics' " In this historic game the Atlantics defeated the Red Stockings 8-7. The victory by the Brooklyn team snapped the 84 game winning streak by the Red…

HARPER'S WEEKLY, New York, Sept. 30, 1882  The full front page is a Thomas Nast political cartoon: "A Proud Day For England". But the most notable print would be the very nice half page baseball print titled: "The Providence Base-Ball Club" showing the team in uniform, with bats and balls as well. The players are identified by name, including the manager: Harry Wright.
Other prints in this issue include a full page: "Racing At Brighton Beach, Coney Island", a small print of: "Grover…

HARPER'S WEEKLY, New York, September 5, 1874  The most interesting print is a very nice full page print captioned: "Baseball in England -- The Match on Lord's Cricket Grounds Between the Red Stockings and The Athletics". It is unusual in that it shows the full field with players in their positions, and spectators in the foreground.
There is a related article further into the issue headed: "Base-Ball In England" which describes the game and gives the box score as well. 
Other prints include a…

HARPER'S WEEKLY, New York, May 14, 1881  The full front pabe is a Thomas Nast political cartoon: "Is There To Be A Power Behind The Throne?" But the most significant print would be the very nice half page baseball print: "The Princeton college Base-Ball Nine" showing them in uniform and with bats, a ball, and two catcher's masks. There is also a related article: "The Princeton Nine".
Other prints in this issue include: "In the Toils of the Telegraph--To This Complexion We May Come At Last."…

THE NEW YORK HERALD, January 23, 1857 

* Birth of organized baseball
* First convention of clubs

The back page has a report which could be considered the birth of organized baseball. And printed the day after the event happened.
The second column has an article headed: "Our National Sports" with subheads: "The Game of Base Ball--Convention of the Various Clubs Of the City and Vicinity--The Laws to Be Codified--Central Park Commissioners & the Base Ball Clubs".
Over half of the column…

HARPER'S WEEKLY, New York, November 26, 1887  Full front page illustration by Frederic Remington: College Players At Foot-Ball---A Tackle And Ball-Down.  Inside has a related report: The College Game Of Football. Also a report: Base-Ball In San Francisco and an illustration: A Base-Ball Game On The Haight Street Grounds, San Francisco. 
Full page "Hunting Wild Hogs in Arkansas"; doublepage centerfold "The Sham Naval Attack and Defense of Newport" which is comprised of several scenes; halfpage…

HARPER'S WEEKLY, New York, October 13, 1883  The full front pages is a political cartoon: "Croton Water Frauds - A Leaky Department - Robbing Peter (the taxpayer) to pay Paul (the tax gatherer)".
Inside are half page illustrations entitled 'Procession of the Veiled Prophet, St. Louis, Missouri.'; 'Bridging Niagara Again'; "The Great Trot at Fleetwood Between Jay-Eye-See and St. Julien" and 'Ladies' Lawn Tennis Tournament, Staten Island Cricket Club Grounds'. A full page 'Centennial of the…

PORTERS SPIRIT OF THE TIMES, New York, Dec. 27, 1856

* Earliest of baseball diagrams
* Pre-American Civil War era

This issue of this once popular sporting journal features one of the earliest baseball illustrations to appear in a periodical.
This simple illustration, which is actually a 3 by 3 inch diagram, shows the position of the players, and is part of an article: "Base Ball" "How They Play The Game In New England".
The diagram shows a layout that is more square than the current…

HARPER'S WEEKLY, New York, October 17, 1885  An issue with many nice prints, but perhaps the most sought after would be the nearly half page print of: "The Chicago Base-Ball Club" showing all team members, with their names in the caption, in full baseball uniform. Hall of Famer Cap Anson is among those shown. There is a related article on a following page.
Other nice prints include a full front page: "The Late Cardinal McCloskey"; "A Sail-Loft Down in Maine" showing sail making; "The Chinese…

HARPER'S WEEKLY, New York, May 16, 1868  The front page contains a quarter-page illustration of "George Sands, President of the National Base-Ball Association" with an article headed "The Base-Ball President". Also on the front cover is a half-page illustration entitled " 'See-Saw'--An Illustration for the Juveniles" which shows children see-sawing on a plank over a log.
Inside contains a full page illustration from the "General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Chicago" with a…

HARPER'S WEEKLY, New York, May 15, 1886  Full ftpg. by Nast: 'Too Heavy a Load for the Trade Unions'. Nice fullpg: 'Sketches from Minneapolis, Minnesota' shows 7 scenes. Nice halfpg: 'The New Grounds of the Metropolitan Base-Ball Club on Staten Island'. Dramatic doublepage centerfold: 'The Anarchist Riot in Chicago--Dynamite Bomb Exploding Among the Police' Nice fullpg. cowboy print: 'A Spring Round Up in Montana' shows 6 scenes.
Other news and advertisements of the day are included. Complete…

ST. LOUIS GLOBE-DEMOCRAT, Nov. 5, 1883 

* Boxer John L. Sullivan plays baseball

Page 2 has much on: "Sporting" including: "Sullivan Attracts 5,000 People at the Baseball Park" with details of a baseball game involving famed boxer John L. Sullivan.
Also: "Report of the Base Ball Arbitration Committee", the meeting in New York, as well as: "The National Agreement of Professional Base Ball Associations".
Ten pages, very nice condition.

HARPER'S WEEKLY, New York, August 5, 1882  The front page has 6 prints and a poem: "Farmer Stebbins at Ocean Grove". Nice fullpg: "Rotten Row, Brooklyn Navy Yard" shows six scenes. Another displayable fullpg: "Scenes in Mackinac--The Island Home of 'Anne'" showing 8 scenes. A nearly halfpg. print: "The Metropolitan Base Ball Nine' showing 12 players in uniform. A 2/3 page print by Thomas Nast: "One Bright Light on a Dark Subject" plus much more.
Other news and advertisements of the day are…

HARPER'S WEEKLY, New York, Oct. 15, 1859 Ftpg. shows: 'A German Beer Garden in N.Y. City on Sunday Eve.' Nice fullpg: 'The English Cricketers--the Eleven of All England'. Half of the dblpgctrfld. is a terrific illus. of: 'A Base Ball Match at the Elysian Fields, Hoboken' showing a game in progress. A very displayable print, showing almost the entire field. The other half shows a cricket match.   This issue also contains a serialized portion of "A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens and a…

HARPER'S WEEKLY, New York, June 23, 1888 (with Supplement of The City of Chicago)  Full ftpg. shows: 'William II, Emperor of Germany & King of Prussia'. Fullpg W.A. Rogers: 'A Street in a Mining Village in Penna.' & Fullpg: 'The Whipple Institutes & Buildings at Farbault, Minnesota'. Article: "The Base-Ball Championship Cup" with accompanying illustration. Also included is the Supplement "The City of Chicago" which includes many illustrations.
Other news and advertisements of the day are…

HARPER'S WEEKLY, New York, October 29, 1887  Full front pg. illus. of "The Presidential Train Approaching Atlanta." Inside are two 1/6 pg. portraits of "Signor Francisco Crispi, Premier of the Italian Ministry" and "The Late Elihu B. Washburne." 1/3 pg. illus. of "Dedication of the Statue of General Meade in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, October 18, 1887."
Double page centerfold containing many illus. pertaining to "The Work of Construction of the New Croton Aqueduct." Full pg. illus. of…

HARPER'S WEEKLY, New York Nov.  25, 1865  

* Brooklyn Atlantics
* Baseball's 1st champions

Over half a page is taken up with portraits of the nine members of the Atlantic Baseball Club of Brooklyn with embellishments titled "'Champion Nine' Of The Atlantic Base-Ball Club Of Brooklyn, L. I., 1865" and an article headed: "The Atlantic Base-Ball Club".
The ball players are wearing uniforms. Some of the players include Start, Pratt, Pearce, and Crane.
Various other post-Civil War prints…

FRANK LESLIE'S ILLUSTRATED NEWSPAPER, New York, Aug. 18, 1866  Inside has a nice one column print of baseball player: "G. A. Flagg, Cambridge B.B. Club, Cambridge, Mass." with a related article headed: "Our Base Ball Illustrations".
The front page has a nice print captioned: "The Town of Heart's Content, Trinity Bay, Newfoundland, the Terminus of the Atlantic Cable on the Western Continent". More prints on the Atlantic Cable inside as well.
Sixteen pages, nice condition.

Background: G. A.…

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN SUPPLEMENT, New York, April 13, 1889 An inside page of this issue has an informative article about "Base Ball" that appeared in a London newspaper, beginning: "The arrival in this country of a specially selected team of players will no doubt stimulate the interest on this, the great national pastime of the United States and some account of it may, therefore, be found interesting....The game is an outgrowth of 'rounders' which might naturally be thought to be too elementary…

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, New York, Jan. 24, 1891  An inside page has a novel new invention headed: "Electrical Sporting Bulletin" which has about half a page of text and two illustrations, one captioned: "Electrical Base Ball Bulletin" and the other: "Diagram of Mechanism & Electrical Connections of the Base Ball Bulletin--Plan View of Double Relay". A portion of the article notes that: "...All the details of the game from beginning to end may be indicated & every feature of play marked upon the…

ST. LOUIS GLOBE-DEMOCRAT, Oct. 24, 1884  

* 19th century African American baseball players

Page 8 has a rather detailed report headed: "Why Two Colored Nines Failed to Finish" which is a report on this baseball game between the Newark  Base Ball Club, and the Alpine Base Ball Club.
The report begins: "The high fence and sloping banks of Washington Park, Brooklyn, enclosed eighteen very happy colored men yesterday..." with much more on the game.
We very rarely find 19th century reports…

LESLIE'S ILLUSTRATED, New York, Aug. 26, 1865 

* Famous Currier and Ives baseball game print

The top of page 4 has one of the better baseball prints of the era, showing the action at the famous game played at Hoboken on August 3, 1865 between the Atlantics of Brooklyn and the Mutuals of New York.
The print, taking close to one-third of the page, is captioned: "Base Ball Match For The Championship Between The Atlantic Club Of Brooklyn And The Mutual Club of New York, At Hoboken, August…

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, New York, Jan. 24, 1891 An inside page has novel new invention headed: "Electrical Sporting Bulletin" which has about half a page of text and two illustrations, one captioned: "Electrical Base Ball Bulletin" and the other: "Diagram of Mechanism & Electrical Connections of the Base Ball Bulletin--Plan View of Double Relay".
A portion of the article notes that: "...All the details of the game from beginning to end may be indicated & every feature of play marked upon the…

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, New York, Jan. 24, 1891  An inside page has novel new invention headed: "Electrical Sporting Bulletin" which has about half a page of text and two illustrations, one captioned: "Electrical Base Ball Bulletin" and the other: "Diagram of Mechanism & Electrical Connections of the Base Ball Bulletin--Plan View of Double Relay".
A portion of the article notes that: "...All the details of the game from beginning to end may be indicated & every feature of play marked upon the…

THE SPRINGFIELD DAILY REPUBLICAN, Massachusetts, Nov. 4, 1881  A report near the top of page 5 has a somewhat inconspicuous yet historically very significant report--the creation of the American League of Major League Baseball.
The report is headed: "The New Base Ball Association" which begins: "The new base-ball league at Cleveland organized yesterday as the American association of base-ball players and chose these officers: President, H.D. McKnight..." followed by the other officers. It…

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, New York, Jan. 24, 1891 An inside page has novel new invention headed: "Electrical Sporting Bulletin" which has about half a page of text and two illustrations, one captioned; "Electrical Base Ball Bulletin" and the other: "Diagram of Mechanism & Electrical Connections of the Base Ball Bulletin--Plan View of Double Relay". A portion of the article notes that: "...All the details of the game from beginning to end may be indicated & every feature of play marked upon the…

NEW YORK TIMES, with baseball content from the year the Civil War ended. Sept. 16, 1865 On the back page under Base Ball is: Base Ball Among Firemen--Hose Company No. 55 Vs. Engine Company No. 34. Very brief one sentence summary says: A spirited game of base ball between the above companies at Hoboken, Friday, Sept. 15... plus the box score. Other news of the day includes: "THE FALL TRADE" "Another Robbery i0n Wall-Street" "The Indian Council" and much more. 8 pages in nice condition.

THE ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, Georgia, April 14, 1914 

* Federal League of Base Ball Clubs 
* Very 1st game under this new league 

In the sport's section (page 10) under "Federal League" is a small heading: "Baltimore 3, Buffalo 2" which was the very 1st "Federal League" baseball game to be played. The game featured the Baltimore Terrapins vs. the Buffalo Blues. See photo for text here.

Other news of the day throughout including sports and various advertisements. Light browning with a…

NATIONAL CHRONICLE - Journal of American Sports & Amusements, Boston, Dec. 11, 1869  Great masthead engraving has a sports & theater-themed engraving, a portion showing a baseball game. Page 3 is mostly taken up with "Base Ball" reports including box scores for several games, plus other statistical details of various players (see). Also: "Base Ball Gossip".
Page 5 has a report on the "Red Stockings Mine for 1870" "The Whole Nine Re-Engaged for Next Season" with the text including: "...They…

HARPER'S WEEKLY, New York, Oct. 20, 1888  Inside has full-length portraits of Timothy J. Keefe, Pitcher & Williams Ewing captioned: "The Winning Battery Of The New York Base-Ball Team." Each portrait measures 6 3/4 by 4 1/4 inches. Both players are members of the Baseball Hall of Fame. There is also a companion article: "The Base-Ball Season".
There is a wealth of other prints as well, but the baseball prints are the prime interest.
Complete in twenty pages, great condition.

NEW YORK TIMES, Oct. 31, 1871  

* National Association of Professional Baseball Players
* End of inaugural season w/ Philadelphia Athletics (winner)

Page 5 has a small yet historically significant report of the very first pennant race  in professional baseball, some five years before the formal organization of the first professional league.

Headed: "Base-Ball--The Whip-Pennant Won by the Athletic Club of Philadelphia" with a brief report.

The front page has: "Great Stampede of the Ku-klux…

HARPER'S WEEKLY, New York, November 25, 1865  Certainly the prime feature of this illustrated newspaper is the very nice three-quarter page print captioned: "Champion Nine of the Atlantic Base-Ball Club of Brooklyn, L.I., 1865" showing named prints of each of the baseball players. There is a brief article on them as well titled: "The Atlantic Base-Ball Club." There are many other prints within this 16 page issue also, including a full pg. with 3 prints of: "The Oil Regions of Pennsylvania--Pit…

SPIRIT OF THE TIMES, New York, Oct. 16, 1858  

* Pre Civil War baseball

It is subtitled in the masthead: "A Chronicle of the Turf, Field Sports, Literature and the Stage". 
Page 6 has a brief item: "New Base Ball Club" which notes: "The Newtown (Long Island) Base Ball Club was organized Sept. 30th with the following officers..." with the details.
Twelve pages, 12 3/4 by 18 inches, a sporting-themed engraving in the masthead, great condition.

FRANK LESLIE'S ILLUSTRATED, New York, Dec. 8, 1866  The full front page has 3 prints of: "Laying the Corner Stone of the New Masonic Temple at Baltimore, Maryland.
Inside has a fascinating half print of: "The New & Beautiful Parlor Divertisement of Base-Ball" showing a family playing a board game themed on baseball. There is also a related article: "The Parlor Game of Base-Ball" which has particulars of the game. The same page has a print of: "C. H. Thorne, Newark B.B. Club...".
A nice…