Ephemera, Americana, & Historical Memorabilia

[BASEBALL]. Original Photographic Team Portrait of the Cuban Almendares Baseball Club. Key West, Fla.: A. J. Estevez, [ca. 1908-1909]. Albumen print showing 21 players and coaches of the Almendares Base Ball Club. Print mounted onto photographer’s original mount. Sight 6 x 8”. Mount 9 x 11. Framed under glass (frame size 13 x 16”). Photo toned and age-worn, mount worn, soiled, some soiling to verso. This exceedingly rare photo shows several legendary players of the Cuban league, including Regino Mamelo Garcia, Alfredo Cabrera, Armando Marsans, Andres Ortega, Gervasio Gonzalez, Carlos Royer, Rogelio Valdes, Heliodoro Hidalgo, Juan Viola, and director Juan Sanchez. Excellent and rare. This original photo is the cover and gatefold image of Mark Rucker’s A Thousand Words (2022) - this photo is sold with a copy of this chapbook. What a group is assembled here, and what a story this photograph tells! One of the great early ball clubs of Cuba is recorded in this photo, who are all in uniform after a game, posed on the steps of their club house. The Almendares Base Ball Club was a social club built around baseball. In the photo we see the officers of the club, the mascot, the ‘investors,’ and we also see the strong relationship amongst players. Few team shots hold any lasting interest, being mostly a quick and emotionless annual record. Yet this photograph is alive, being most descriptive photographic image of baseball life in Havana at this time, clearly illustrating the importance of the team to its community. Regino ‘Mamelo’ Garcia is placed at the top of this group of players by clear design. He was their batting star. He won the batting championship three years in a row. It is also evident that there is a bond between pitcher José Mesa and catcher Gervasio Garcia, as they grip hands. The most famous of all early Cuban players were on the team, since both played in the Major Leagues in the States, namely Armando Marsans and Rafael Almeida. Other players of note in the photo are Heliodoro Hidalgo, Rogelio Valdes, Carlos Royer, and Pajaro Cabrera. Refer to the sheet with player identifications (included). The cabinet photo is 11” x 9” including the mount. The photo and mount have been stabilized by a conservator to prevent any further changes. From the Mark Rucker Collection.