Guide to the Stanley Person Collection, BCMS.0065 Finding aid prepared by Sarah Quick, Reference Archivist

This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit July 03, 2019

Brooklyn Public Library - Collection 10 Grand Army Plaza Brooklyn, NY, 11238 718.230.2762 [email protected] Guide to the Stanley Person Baseball Collection, BCMS.0065

Table of Contents

Summary Information ...... 3 Historical Note...... 4 Scope and Contents...... 5 Arrangement...... 5 Administrative Information ...... 6 Related Materials ...... 6 Controlled Access Headings...... 7 Collection Inventory...... 8 Series I: Brooklyn Dodgers...... 8 Series II: Non-Brooklyn Baseball Items...... 12 Series III: Non-Baseball Photographs and Prints...... 15

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Summary Information

Repository Brooklyn Public Library - Brooklyn Collection

Title Stanley Person Baseball Collection

Date 1926-1994

Extent 6.2 Linear feet , 6 baseball boxes, 2 document boxes, 1 half size document box, 1 postcard box, 1 oversize flat box

Location Brooklyn Collection Morgue, Shelves 24.3-24.5

Language English

Abstract This collection includes tickets, programs, photographs, postcards, autographed , and other memorabilia from various baseball teams. Items from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and postcards depicting various City buildings and bridges are also included.

Preferred Citation This collection should be cited as the Stanley Person Baseball Collection, Brooklyn Public Library – Brooklyn Collection.

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Historical Note

The may trace to the games of and , played in Great Britain as early as the 15th century. British colonists began playing similar ball and bat games, with mentions of "baste ball" and "baseball" appearing in the United States the late 18th century. is often credited with inventing modern baseball in Cooperstown, New York, however it’s now believed his involvement was exaggerated, perhaps in an attempt to establish baseball as a solely American sport. Modern baseball rules were written in 1845 by Alexander Cartwright, who also founded The Knickerbockers, a baseball club that played in the first officially recorded baseball game on June 19, 1846 at the Elysian Fields in Hoboken, New Jersey. Over the next 30 years amateur teams were formed all over the country, leading to the creation of The National Association of Base Ball Players, which counted over 400 clubs by 1867. In 1869 the were established as the sport’s first professional team, causing a rift between the professional and amateur players. The National Association of Players formed in 1871 as baseball’s first attempt at an all professional league. Frustrations over rule breaking and contract jumping lead to the formation of splinter leagues, including the National Base Ball League in 1876 and the Western League, which became the American League in 1901. The and the American League currently make up (MLB), the oldest professional sports league in the United States. Baseball clubs were introduced to Kings County as early as the 1820s, with over 71 amateur teams playing in the county by 1851. Early prominent clubs included the Atlantics and the Ekfords, drawing players from the blue collar workforce and attracting thousands of fans to games played all over the borough. In 1883, Charles Byrne opened the Washington Park baseball field on 5th Avenue and 3rd Street in Park Slope and formed a team called the Brooklyn Grays. The team joined the American Association in 1884 and the National League in 1890, by which time they were known as the Bridegrooms. In 1891 Washington Park burned down and the team was moved to Eastern Park, a 12,000 seat in Brooklyn’s Brownsville neighborhood. The team was still known as the Bridegrooms but picked up several nicknames including the Superbas and the Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers, named after borough residents who had to “dodge” oncoming electric trollies. In 1898 Byrne died and was succeeded by his assistant, Charlie Ebbets. By 1899 Ebbets gained majority control over the team and in 1912 moved them to , a new 37,000 seat stadium in Flatbush. The team played and lost their first game in 1916, in front of the largest crowd in baseball history. By 1920 the team was officially known as the Brooklyn Dodgers, but was also called the Daffiness Boys, a nickname reflective of their performance on the field and outrageous behavior of players and management. The death of Charlie Ebbets in 1925 left the team open to poor management and a series of disastrous trades that led to a drop in ticket sales and a field in need of repairs. Things began to turn around in 1938 when Leland MacPhail was brought in as General . MacPhail got rid of the Daffiness Boys and replaced them with some of the Dodgers' most iconic players, including and Pete Reiser.

- Page 4 - Guide to the Stanley Person Baseball Collection, BCMS.0065 When the U.S. entered World War II MacPhail and several players enlisted. was brought in from St. Louis as the new General Manager. In 1947 he signed , the first black man to play on a major league baseball team. The 1947 season kicked off an era often called the “glory days” with star players including , and Gil Hodges. Brooklyn supported their team with steady game attendance, merchandise sales and their own fight song, “Follow the Dodgers.” After years of close-calls and near-misses the team finally captured a World Series title in the 1955 season. After 43 years Ebbets Field was in a state of disrepair and team owner Walter O’Malley began to make plans for a new stadium in Brooklyn. O’Malley’s plan for a city subsidized stadium at the intersection of Flatbush and Atlantic Avenue that would provide more seats, parking and access to public transportation was rejected by Robert Moses, who proposed an alternative location in Queens, the eventual site of . O’Malley began negotiations with the city of Los Angeles, which promised a growing market and space for a new stadium. The National League authorized the move on May 28, 1957 and the played their first game on April 18, 1958.

Scope and Contents

This bulk of this collection comprises items from various baseball teams including the Brooklyn Dodgers, Los Angeles Dodgers, and . Items from the Brooklyn Dodgers include autographed baseballs from the 1941-1957 seasons, tickets, game programs, and trading cards. Photographs and postcards depict players, staff and Ebbets Field. Additional baseball items include various team programs, tickets, postcards, and stamps, as well as general baseball trivia books. Items from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and postcards depicting various New York City buildings and bridges are also included.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in three series: Series I: Brooklyn Dodgers is arranged in six subseries by type. Folders within each subseries are arranged alphabetically, baseballs are arranged chronologically. Series II: Non-Brooklyn Baseball Items is arranged in six subseries by type. Folders within each subseries are arranged alphabetically. Series III: Non-Baseball Photographs and Prints is contained in two folders with no item arrangement.

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Administrative Information

Publication Information Brooklyn Public Library - Brooklyn Collection

Access Collection is located in the Brooklyn Collection at the Central Branch at Grand Army Plaza. The collection may only be used in the library and is not available through interlibrary loan. Requests to view the collection must be made at least 48 hours in advance of visit.

Use While many items in the Brooklyn Collection are unrestricted, we do not own reproduction rights to all materials. Be aware of the several kinds of rights that might apply: copyright, licensing and trademarks. The researcher assumes all responsibility for copyright questions.

Provenance This collection was donated by Diane Person in March 2004, with additional materials donated in June 2005.

Related Materials

Related Archival Materials note Al Todres Brooklyn Dodgers Collection Photographs from our Digital Collections Golenbock, Peter. Bums--an oral history of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Putnam, 1984. Krell, David. "Our bums" : the Brooklyn Dodgers in history, memory and popular culture. McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, 2015. McGee, Bob. The greatest ballpark ever : Ebbets Field and the story of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Rivergate Books, 2005. Prince, Carl E. Brooklyn's Dodgers : the bums, the borough, and the best of baseball, 1947-1957. Oxford University Press, 1996.

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Controlled Access Headings

Genre(s)

• Photographs • Postcards • Prints

Subject(s)

• Baseball teams--United States--History • Baseball--United States--History--20th century • Brooklyn Dodgers (Baseball team) • Los Angeles Dodgers (Baseball team) • National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

- Page 7 - Guide to the Stanley Person Baseball Collection, BCMS.0065 Series I: Brooklyn Dodgers

Collection Inventory

Series I: Brooklyn Dodgers

Subseries I: Baseballs

Box 1

Baseballs, Autographed , 1941-1944

Box 2

Baseballs, Autographed , 1945-1948

Box 3

Baseballs, Autographed , 1949-1952

Box 4

Baseballs, Autographed , 1953-1957

Box 5

Baseballs, Autographed , undated

- Page 8 - Guide to the Stanley Person Baseball Collection, BCMS.0065 Subseries II: Memorabilia

Box 6

Baseballs, Autographed , undated

Subseries II: Memorabilia

Box 7

Folder 1: Envelopes , 1982

Folder 2: Patch, Pin and Keychain

Folder 3: Team Yearbook , 1957

Folder 4: Trading Cards

Box 11

Folder 1: Oversize Pennant , 1955

Morgue Flat File

Poster

Subseries III: Ephemera

- Page 9 - Guide to the Stanley Person Baseball Collection, BCMS.0065 Subseries IV: Clippings

Box 7

Folder 5: Baseball Magazine , 1937

Folder 6: Game Programs , 1942-1956

Folder 7: Press, Radio, and TV Guide , 1953

Folder 8: Stamps, Jackie Robinson , 1982

Folders 9-11: Team Rosters , 1931-1958

Folder 12: Tickets , 1942-1955

Folder 13: Welcome Home Dinner Program, Autographed , 1949

Box 11

Folder 2: Oversize Schedule , 1954

Subseries IV: Clippings

Box 7

Folder 14: Clippings , 1955-1957, 1990-1992

- Page 10 - Guide to the Stanley Person Baseball Collection, BCMS.0065 Subseries V: Correspondence

Subseries V: Correspondence

Box 7

Folder 15: Walter O’Malley to Rud Rennie , 1955

Subseries VI: Prints and Photographs

Box 7

Folder 16: Photographs, Players

Folder 17: Photographs, Players, Autographed

Folder 18: Photographs, Team , 1947-1957

Folder 19: Cartoon , 1955

Folder 20: Postcards, Ebbets Field

Folder 21: Postcards, Players, Autographed

Box 11

Folder 3: Oversize Print, Ebbets Field

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Series II: Non-Brooklyn Baseball Items

Subseries I: Memorabilia

Box 8

Folder 1: Baseball Stat Finder , 1989

Folders 2-3: Baseball Trivia Books , 1975-1994

Folder 4: Calendars , 1987-1991

Folder 5: Sticker,

Folder 6: Trading Cards

Folder 7: Yearbook, Los Angeles Dodgers , 1966

Box 11

Folder 4: Oversize Paper Dolls Book , 1985

Folder 5: Oversize Ladies Day Sign, Yankees

Subseries II: Ephemera

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Box 8

Folder 8: Banquet Program, Autographed , 1988

Folder 9: Brochure, Hotel Homosassa

Folder 10: Press, Radio, and Television Guides, Los Angeles Dodgers , 1959-1966

Folder 11: Stamps , 1987-1989

Folder 12: Tickets, Yankees , 1949

Box 11

Folder 6: Oversize Placemat, Mets, Autographed

Subseries III: Clippings

Box 8

Folder 13: Advertisements

Box 11

Folder 7: Oversize New York Times Commemorative Edition: The Glory Days of Baseball 1947-1957

Folder 8: Oversize New York Times, Clippings , 1951-1956

- Page 13 - Guide to the Stanley Person Baseball Collection, BCMS.0065 Subseries IV: Correspondence

Subseries IV: Correspondence

Box 8

Folder 14: Lee Scott to Al , undated

Subseries V: Prints and Photographs

Box 9

Postcards, Players and Staff

Postcards, Players, Autographed

Postcards, Parks and

Box 10

Folder 1: Postcards, Book , 1978

Folder 2: Photographs, Fans

Folder 3: Photographs, Players

Folder 4: Photographs, Stadiums

- Page 14 - Guide to the Stanley Person Baseball Collection, BCMS.0065 Subseries VI: The National Baseball Hall of Fame

Folder 5: Photographs, Teams, Los Angeles Dodgers and Yankees

Box 11

Folder 9: Oversize Prints, Parks and Stadiums

Subseries VI: The National Baseball Hall of Fame

Box 10

Folder 6: Tickets , 1988-1994

Folder 7: Program and Newsletters , 1984-1994

Folder 8: Sticker

Series III: Non-Baseball Photographs and Prints

Box 10

Folder 9: Postcards, New York City Buildings and Bridges

Box 11

Folder 10: Oversize Photograph, Brooklyn Bridge

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