This photo clearly depicts the West Side Grounds in Chicago. It was found in a black paged scrapbook with circa 1910s photos with the white writing on the black paper as was common in that era. The Velox markings evident on back also are likely from the 1910s or 1920s, when it was printed, but when was the image snapped?
It is labeled Chicago vs. Baltimore at the West Side Ball Park. It shows the grandstands overflowing with spectators who ring the playing field.
Here is a 1906 RPPC of the West Side Grounds during the World Series, from the Collection, clearly our photo is earlier based on the third base grandstands not extending as far.
So, when would a Chicago vs. Baltimore matchup been possible at the West Side Grounds? That would have been between 1893 and 1899, after the West Side Grounds were built and both teams played in the National League. But when during that time frame is our game?
The March 13, 1896 edition of the Chicago Tribune, page 8 noted:
The April 3, 1896 edition of the Chicago Tribune also notes that a permit for temporary bleachers has been granted. These are likely the low leftfield bleachers we see in our photo.
The April 30, 1896 edition of the Chicago Tribune shows the below sketch of the grandstand and new “bleachers”.
The sketch is a clear match for our photo and to the Tribune article noting the term “bleachers” and the higher elevation of them vs. the original grandstand. So, our photo can be no earlier than 1896. Baltimore only played in the National League until 1899 and they made two annual trips to the West Side Grounds.
So, if we believe the white notation that the photo depicts Chicago vs. Baltimore then the image can be no later than 1899. A known photo of West Side Grounds in 1902 shows that additional grandstand/bleachers have been added down the third base line. Also, a check of Cubs uniforms from the Dressed to the Nines MLB website shows that the 1900 and 1901 Chicago uniforms do not match up with either of the team uniforms shown in our photo. What uniforms do match?
Here are the uniforms for the 1896 teams. The uniforms are a clear match for our photo. All whites for Chicago, dark socks and caps for Baltimore.
All the visual clues in our photo mesh with the known facts about the West Side Grounds and the Colts/Orioles uniforms worn in 1896. 1896 is a leading contender, but do other years match and can we nail down a specific date?
Hear are the dates and attendance figures, from the Chicago Tribune boxscores, for each meeting of Chicago and Baltimore at the West Side Grounds from 1896 to 1899.
1896
May 14 Thursday 2,500
May 15 Friday 4,500
May 16 Saturday 9,000
May 17 Sunday 18,921
July 6 Monday 5,500
July 7 Tuesday 4,600
July 8 Wednesday 6,100
1897
May 30 Sunday 17,800
May 31 Monday 2,650
July 15 Thursday 4,135
July 16 Friday 5,184
July 17 Saturday 10,280
July 18 Sunday 12,250
1898
May 23 Monday 4,100
May 24 Tuesday 3,200
May 25 Wednesday 2,750
August 4 Thursday 7,500
August 5 Friday 5,200
1899
May 19 Friday 2,700
May 20 Saturday 7,000
May 21 Sunday 17,617
July 22 Saturday 7,500
July 23 Sunday 9,000
July 24 Monday 2,700
July 25 Tuesday 3,000
The photo clearly shows an overflow crowd. The only three dates that had attendance figures that would fill the stadium are the Sunday games on May 17, 1896, May 30, 1897, and May 21, 1899. The largest crowd was the 1896 game and the only game description to describe fans on the field. The May 18th Chicago Tribune account of that game is very telling.
This description matches entirely with our photo.
Even the pitcher in our photo matches the boxscores. Our photo depicts an Oriole righthanded pitcher. The righthander Bill Hoffer was on the mound in the 1896 and 1897 games and the righthander Joe McGinnity was on the mound for the 1899 game.
It is very likely that the game depicted in our photo is the May 17, 1896 game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Chicago Colts at the West Side Grounds. Based on the boxscore, the Baltimore players shown would be 1B Boileryard Clarke, 2B Heine Reitz, SS Hughie Jennings, 3B Jim Donnelly, LF Joe Kelley and P Bill Hoffer.
Regardless of which game between 1896 and 1899, this photo is the earliest known photo of the West Side Grounds and the only one taken in the 19th Century.
