Michael Lehr Antiques
Live Auction

June 2026 Vernacular Photo History Auction

Wed, Jun 24, 2026 11:00AM EDT
Lot 548

Cabinet Card, R.B.A.C. Baseball Team, Red Bank NJ

Estimate: $100 - $200

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $5
$100 $10
$200 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $250
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$20,000 $2,000
$50,000 $5,000
Three unidentified players wearing matching "R.B.A.C." lettered baseball uniforms pose in a studio arrangement by A. H. White of Red Bank, New Jersey, with the mount's decorative back advertising his instantaneous process. The albumen print dates to the mid-to-late 1880s based on uniform style, equipment, and mount typography. The Red Bank Athletic Club fielded amateur baseball teams during this period, and this image represents a rare surviving photographic record of the organization.

The player seated at center on the ground holds a period wire catcher's mask across his lap, with four wooden bats fanned across the foreground alongside a fielder's glove and a flat cap resting in loose straw. The standing player at upper left has his arms crossed over his chest, while the seated player at right wears a small-billed cap and a loosely knotted cravat beneath his collar. All three wear dark stockings and lace-up leather boots visible below their knicker-style uniform trousers.

A painted studio backdrop with tree branches and tropical foliage is visible behind the group, a common decorative convention of the era. The mount's reverse features an ornate red and gold printed design incorporating an artist's palette, a camera on a tripod, and cattail grasses surrounding the studio imprint.

The reverse bears a penciled notation reading "1885" at the top edge.

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