1894 Betz Studio Baltimore Baseball Club Team Composite with (8) Hall of Famers

• Sold For: $2,489
• Year: 1894
• Auction: 2014 April
• Lot #: 4
• Auction Category: Pre-1900 Baseball Cards (1830-1899)

The 1890s Baltimore Orioles were a dynasty which fielded numerous Hall of Famers and used “small ball” along with sound defensive principles to appear in four straight Temple Cup series. Produced by the Betz Studio of N. Washington St. in Baltimore, the offered 1894 Baltimore Baseball Club cabinet was released during their first title appearance. The 4-1/4 x 6-1/2” antiquity pictures sixteen members of the championship squad, eight of whom would later be enshrined at Cooperstown. The cameos depict the players in formal attire complete with identifiers beneath their oval images. Subjects include: Bonner, Brodie, Brouthers, Clarke, Esper, Gleason, Hanlon, Hawke, Hemning, Jennings, Keeler, Kelley, McGraw, McMahon, Reitz and W. Robinson. With exception to a mild fraying to the left of Clarke’s portrait, the crisp sepia images are unobstructed by limited surface and reverse paper loss and tape residue. Two pin holes along the upper corners do not seriously disrupt the overall design scheme. The ornate canvas is crease-free with only minimal surface imperfections. More on our website. Interestingly, the poses are exact replicas of the decidedly scarce 1894 Alpha Engraving issue. An impressive nineteenth century “Charm City” diamond artifact from a season in which the Orioles first captured the hearts of their home city.