1869 Olympic, Washington DC (Olympics)

This rendering is based on written documentation only for uniform style and color. No visual documentation is known and an artist’s conceptualization is used to create the rendering.

Rendering accuracy:Year: documented    Team: documented

Visual documentation on this uniform:
None

Written documentation on this uniform:
August 1869: “A few friends of the Olympic base ball club, of this city, […] have contributed funds to purchase a new uniform for the nine, which will put them on a par in personal appearance with any nine in the country. […] They will probably appear in their new uniform for the first time next week, in a match game with the famous Athletics, of Philadelphia, on the grounds of the Nationals.” From the National Republican (Washington DC), August 27, 1869. Research from Ed Morton.

August 1869: “The new uniform for the Olympic base ball club will be finished on Wednesday [September 1st]. It will be very pretty and neat […] The shirts and pants of white flannel, a blue cord down the leg, with a buckle just below the knee, light blue stockings, white skull cap, trimmed with blue cord, blue belt, and old English letter O on the breast of the shirt. Messrs. A. Saks & Co., have the contract for manufacturing all the uniforms. Mr. G. B. Wilson is manufacturing a full set of bootees for the Olympics. They are of patent leather, turned inside out, and will be very serviceable.” From the National Republican (Washington DC), August 30, 1869. National Republican research from Brian McKenna.A very similar report was published in the Evening Star (Washington DC), August 30, 1869. Evening Star research from Ed Morton.

August 30, 1869, Olympic, Washington DC, v. Athletic, Philadelphia: “The Olympics, a body of small men but plucky, all attired in the old uniform of the club.” From the National Republican (Washington DC), August 31, 1869. Research from Ed Morton.

September 1869: “The Olympics [of Washington] are going to change their uniform (dark pants, red striped shirt and caps) for a white suit, yellow belt and blue stockings and a flaming pink on their manly ‘buzzums’.” From the Cambridge (IN) City Tribune, September 9, 1869, reported as correspondence from ‘Washington City’, September 2, 1869. Research from Don Stokes. Note, belt color does not match the National Republican report from August 30.

September 15, 1869, Olympic, Washington DC, v. Alert, Washington DC: “Olympics new uniform, white flannel shirt and pants, blue cord down pants leg with buckle just below the knee, light blue stockings, white skull cap trimmed with blue cord, blue belt, old English ‘O’ on breast.” From Preston D. Orem, Baseball 1845-1881 From Newspaper Accounts (1961). No specific reference given.

Team genealogy: Olympic, Washington DC, 1865-1872
Olympic was formed in Washington, DC, in 1865. The club played in the National Association (NA) in 1871 and 1872. The NA was baseball’s first league, operating 1871-1875. Olympic folded during the 1872 season.  –Information from Peter Morris and others, Base Ball Pioneers, 1850-1870 (2012).