Large-format team photograph depicting an African American baseball club posed in full uniform on a wooden bench, photographed outdoors, likely at a local ballfield. The players wear matching jerseys with bold block lettering reading “PON” across the chest, paired with caps bearing a single block “P.” Several uniforms feature a distinctive circular sleeve patch with internal striping, indicating an organized club rather than a casual or barnstorming aggregation. A suited manager or club official stands centered in the rear row, reinforcing the formal nature of the team.

Based on uniform lettering, regional baseball history, and prior comparative research, the team is attributed to the Pond Giants, a Black semiprofessional club believed to have operated in North Carolina during the interwar period, most plausibly in or around Winston-Salem. While documentation for smaller Negro League and semipro teams is often incomplete, the “PON” jersey lettering, consistent cap insignia, and lack of competing known teams using this abbreviation support the attribution. Importantly, the reverse of the mount bears a handwritten identification reading “Charlie Strauss — 2nd row, 4th from left,” providing a named player and strengthening the photograph’s documentary value.

The photograph is mounted on its original oversized board mount, suggesting it was intended for display rather than casual circulation. Large, intact team images of regional Black baseball clubs are scarce, particularly those preserving legible uniform lettering and identified players. This photograph represents a strong visual record of early African American baseball at the local and semiprofessional level, where much of the sport’s history survives only fragmentarily, making identified examples of this scale and clarity especially significant.