1860 Atlantic, Brooklyn (Atlantics)

This rendering is based on visual documentation for uniform style only. Color information is unknown and the uniform is rendered in values of gray. Minor details may also be undocumented or difficult to determine and an educated guess is made to complete the rendering.

Rendering accuracy:Year: unconfirmed    Team: documented

Visual documentation on this uniform:

Photo A

Dated 1857-1861 based on players in photo. Dated circa 1860 by Steven Wong, Smithsonian Baseball (2005). Photo from collection of Corey R Shanus (2005). Players wore a white shirt with a bib in this photo, a dark belt and mid-tone pants. The bib had six dark buttons and light colored trim along the edge. In the center of the bib were the letters “ABBC” and a graphic of a ball and two crossed bats. The team’s cap, shown in the foreground, had a light-colored body with dark-colored vertical striping and a light-colored visor. At least one player, standing far right, had the team name displayed on his belt. Not all of the shirt bibs were exactly the same, indicating that some uniforms may have been made at different times. One player, seated in middle, had a much narrower bib when compared to the other players in the photo.

Top row, standing from left: D Pearce (56-70), unidentified, C Smith (57-70), unidentified and P O’Brien (57-65). Front row, sitting: (unidentified), unidentified, unidentified, unidentified, unidentified and (unidentified). Unidentified players: J Price (56-61), John Oliver (58-62), Joe Oliver (60-62), T Hamilton (57-60), A McMahon (57-60), F Boreum (56-61), M O’Brien (57-62), T/F/R Seinsoth (59-61) and W Hawxhurst (59-61). Years with team from Peter Morris and others, Base Ball Founders (2013), Marshall D. Wright, The National Association Of Base Ball Players, 1857-1870 (2000) and Paul Batesel, Players And Teams Of The National Association, 1871-1875 (2012). Unidentified players from Morris and Wright. Original photo most likely made by John Farach of Farach & Lalumia, 336 Fulton St., Brooklyn. The Farach & Lalumia imprint was on the back of the photo mount when a version of this same image was sold at auction in 2015.

As stated, a version of this image was sold by Heritage Auctions in 2015. It was described as “a photograph mounted on a 2.5-inch by 4-inch cardboard. […] An undated newspaper clipping pasted to the back lists the players’ names. […] The card’s provenance can be traced to a 1923 obituary of [player Archibald] McMahon’s 92-year-old brother. It says John McMahon “also was an ardent baseball fan and had a picture in his home of the original Atlantics team, of which his brother, Archibald McMahon, was a member.” From Ula Ilnytzky, Associated Press, June 30, 2015. A photo of the back of the card showed the newspaper clipping attached, it read in part: “S.C.S., Brooklyn. — The members of the Atlantic nine who played in a majority of games during the season of 1859 were: Boerum, catcher; M. O’Brien, pitcher; Price, Oliver and Smith, on the bases; Pearce, short; and Hamilton, P. O’Brien and McMahon, in the outfield. Webber, Phelps, Connor, Hawkhurst and Seinsoth also participated in one or more games that year.”

Dated 1857-1861, detail view of photo A. Note, bib lettering and bat-and-ball graphic can be seen on player at right.

Photo B

Dated July 19, 1860, published August 4, 1860. Illustration (detail view) of Excelsior-Atlantic game on July 19, 1860, at the Excelsior grounds, South Brooklyn, full view not shown. Scene depicted Excelsior in the field and Atlantic at bat. Both teams wore white shirts and dark pants. Image and date of game from the New York Illustrated News, August 4, 1860. The caption (not shown) stated that the scene was “from a sketch by our own artist.” Date of publish from wikipedia.com.

Written documentation on this uniform:
None

Team genealogy: Atlantic, Brooklyn, 1854-1875
Atlantic was formed in Brooklyn, NY, in late 1854. The club was one of 16 charter members of the National Association of Base Ball Players (NABBP), baseball’s first organization, operating 1857-1870. The club initially chose not to enter the National Association (NA), baseball’s first professional league, operating 1871-1875. However, Atlantic did join the NA in 1872 and played in the league until 1875, when they disbanded. The success and popularity of the club during the 1860s led to the frequent use of the Atlantic name by other clubs. Information from Craig B Waff, William Ryczek, Peter Morris and others, Base Ball Founders (2013).