1876 Tecumseh, London ON (Tecumsehs)

This rendering is based on visual documentation for uniform style and written documentation for color. Minor details may be undocumented or difficult to determine. An educated guess is made to complete the rendering.

Rendering accuracy:Year: documented    Team: documented

Visual documentation on this uniform:


Photo A

Dated July 15, 1876. This illustration was printed in a magazine on this day and was based on a photograph taken between late May 1876 and early July 1876. The 1876 Tecumseh season officially began in London on May 24, 1876, in a game against Maple Leaf of Guelph, ON. A box score from that game listed the same nine players as shown in the team photo above. In later games, June 11 vs. Standard, Hamilton, ON, and June 26 vs. Indianapolis, box scores showed that the Tecumseh lineup had introduced several new players. Based on this, it is likely the original team photo was made in late May 1876 and at the start of the season. Players wore a white uniform in this photo with a dark belt and dark stockings. The shield bib on the shirt had a decorative letter “T” in the center. This letter was different than that used in the following year of 1877. The headgear was a full-brimmed hat with a line of trim along the edge of the brim and with a dark button on top. The pants also had a line of trim running down the seam. The shoes were white. A newspaper in June 1876 described the uniform as “white suits trimmed with red, and red stockings.” Researcher Brian “Chip” Martin, author of The Tecumsehs of the International Association: Canada’s First Major League Baseball Champions (2015), has stated that the Tecumseh uniform during this period was “white with red trim.”

Top row, from left: J Hornung (76-78), Brown (75, 77), T Gillean (75-77) and M Ledwith (76). Front: M Dinnen (76, 77), F Goldsmith (76-78), J Latham (75, 76, Cricket, Bing 76), P Powers (76-78) and W Hunter (75, 76). Illustration and player IDs from the Canadian Illustrated News, July 15, 1876. According to the Library and Archives Canada, “the Canadian Illustrated News was the first magazine in the world to [re]produce photographs at a consistently successful rate. Many inventors sought this rate of production, but none could match the level of performance achieved by [publisher] George Desbarats and his engraver, William Leggo.” Years players with team from various sources. 1875 info from Bryce’s Canadian Base Ball Guide (1876). 1876 info from New York Clipper box scores from September 1876. 1877 and 1878 info from baseball-reference.com. Additional info came from Preston D. Orem, Baseball 1845-1881 From Newspaper Accounts (1961), and from wikipedia.com. According to Les Bronson, Baseball Speech, the illustration was made between May 24, 1876 and July 4, 1876. Box score of the May 24 game from The British Whig (Kingston, ON), May 26, 1876. Box score of June 11 game from the Hamilton Spectator, June 12, 1876. Box score of the June 26 game from the Indianapolis News, June 27, 1876. Original photo by Frank Cooper, London, ON.

Dated July 15, 1876, detail view of photo A. This illustration was printed in a magazine on this day and was based on a photograph taken between late May 1876 and early July 1876. Detail view showed the shield bib with dark trim and white buttons, and a shirt collar with dark trim. Image scan from Chip Martin.

Photo B

Dated 1875 or 1876, most likely 1876. Portrait of W Hunter (75, 76). This photo was most likely taken at same time as 1876 team photo above. See Hunter in photo A, front row, far right. Note the similarities in the style and position of the necktie. It is likely that an individual portrait of each player was made at this time. Original photo possibly by Frank Cooper, London, ON.

Written documentation on this uniform:
June 1876: “Our local club, the Standards [of Hamilton, ON], will tackle the Tecumsehs, of London, tomorrow afternoon [June 2, 1876] for the championship of Canada. […] The ‘Tecumsehs‘ wear white suits trimmed with red, and red stockings. The ‘Standards‘ suits are white trimmed with blue, dark blue stockings and caps. By bearing this in mind spectators can easily distinguish the two clubs tomorrow.” From the Hamilton Spectator, June 1, 1876.

Team genealogy: Coming soon