1875 Hartford (Hartfords, Dark Blues)
Uniform documentation:
White– visual & written
This rendering is included in the book, BASEBALL THREADS.
Visual documentation on this uniform:
Photo A
Attributed 1875. Based on the players shown in this photo, the photo year could be 1875 or 1876. Players wore a white uniform in this photo with stockings in a mid-tone color. The cap, shown in the foreground, was white and had noticeable ribbing. A newspaper in 1875 described the Hartford uniform as having dark blue stockings. Note that the background in this photo had been retouched out. See photo B below or the original studio backdrop.
Top row, from left: J Remsen (75, 76), T York (75-77), C Cummings (75, 76), T Bond (75, 76) and B Harbidge (75-77). Front: D Allison (75-77) , E Mills (74-76), B Ferguson (75-77), T Carey (75-77) and J Burdock (75-77). Player IDs from Nigel Ayres, and also from Mark Fimoff, SABR 19th-century Pictorial Committee, Reflecting The Past newsletter, March 2013. Note, some resources regarding this photo have players Remsen, Allison and Burdock switched in identification. Years with team from baseball-reference.com.
Photo B
Attributed 1875. This is the same photo as shown above, however this version showed the original studio backdrop.
Written documentation on this uniform:
February 1875: “[Manager] Ferguson attended a meeting of the Hartford Club, at Hartford, on Tuesday night [February 9], when the club adopted a uniform dressing, one almost the same as the Athletics. Each club should have a distinct uniform and different colored stockings for each nine. It is very confusing on a match, for base runners and holders to be uniformed alike.” From the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, February 13, 1875, page 3. Research from Ed Morton.
February 16, 1875: “The uniform of the Hartfords has been changed from that of last year [1874]. The color, instead of blue, will be white, with blue trimmings, the cap white and blue and the stockings blue. The word ‘Hartford’ will be put upon the breast of the shirt in small blue letters.” From the St. Louis Democrat, February 16, 1875, page 4. Research from Ed Morton.
February 1875: “The Hartfords will have a new uniform for 1875. This they have decided shall be of white flannel trimmed with blue. The shirt will have on the breast the name ‘Hartford’ in plain blue letters. The stockings and belt will be blue, and the cap is to be of the jockey pattern, white, with blue cord in large white visor. The old rig of last season [1874] will be used for practice games.” From the St. Louis Republican, February 21, 1875, page 2. Research from Ed Morton.
February 1875: “Tomorrow will be an important day for the ball-tossing fraternity. […] In the evening the regular annual convention will be held. Several delegates have arrived and others are expected, […] representing Boston, Atlantic, Athletic, St. Louis, Chicago, Hartford, Mutual, Red stocking (St. Louis), New Haven, Keokuk and the Centennial nines.” From the Boston Post, March 1, 1875, page 2, dateline: Philadelphia, February 28.
March 1875: “The uniforms of the Hartford, New Haven and Athletic clubs are very nearly alike.” From the St. Louis Democrat, March 21, 1875. Research from Ed Morton.
April 1875: “The Hartfords, Elm City, Athletics and Westerns, of Keokuk, will all wear blue stockings. What nonsense this is. Are there not enough are there not colors enough to select from without copying those of the leading clubs? The Bostons are the original ‘Reds,’ the ‘Athletics’ being the first to don the blue. The Hartfords should have chosen the gray, and the Westerns dark brown or Buffalo color.” From the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, April 1, 1875, page 2. Research from Ed Morton.
April 1875: “The Hartford Base Ball Club is fitting up a fine club room for the benefit of the nine, and the members are all on hand.” From the Boston Evening Transcript, April 5, 1875, page 3.
May 15, 1875, Hartford v. Atlantic, Brooklyn, at Brooklyn: “The Hartfords appeared on the field looking well in their new uniform, their dark-blue stockings giving them the name “Dark-blues”—Connecticut colors.” From the New York Clipper, May 22, 1875.
1875-1877: “With Hartford, [Bob Ferguson] wore a white belt with the words “I AM CAPTAIN” in capital letters just in case someone was unsure of who was in charge.” From Brian McKenna, SABR BioProject: Bob Ferguson, retrieved February 22, 2025. Team photos from 1875 and 1876 show the club wearing dark blue belts.
Team genealogy: Hartford was formed to join the National Association (NA) in 1874. The NA was baseball’s first league, operating 1871-1875. After two years in the NA, Hartford joined the National League (NL) at its formation in 1876. The team removed to Brooklyn for the 1877 season and was then known as Hartford of Brooklyn. The franchise was dissolved at the conclusion of the 1877 season. –Information from Paul Batesel, Players and Teams of the National Association, 1871-1875 (2012), and from wikipedia.
Rendering posted: January 3, 2016
Diggers on this uniform: Ed Morton, Mark Fimoff, Nigel Ayres,