1888 Washington DC (Washingtons, Nationals, Statesmen)
Left & Center: These renderings are based on visual documentation for uniform style and color. Minor details may be undocumented or difficult to determine and an educated guess is made to complete the renderings.
Rendering accuracy: Year: documented Team: documented
Right: This rendering is based on written documentation 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 these uniforms:
Photo A
Dated 1888. Old Judge baseball card of F Gilmore (86-88). Full view at left, detail view at right. Photo date determined in combination with photo B. The backgrounds of both photos appear to match, and 1888 was the only year players Gilmore and Wilmot were both on the team at the same time. Detail view shows a shirt with detachable sleeves, a button placket, and the letter “W” below the left breast. Detail view also shows subtle pinstripes on shirt, most visible in shadow areas of sleeves. Written reports and color depictions from this year detail that the letter, belt and stockings were red in color, and that only the shirt and cap had pinstripes. Years Gilmore with team from baseball-reference.com. Image from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Original photo by Pembroke Marshall and Francis T. Gilling, Washington DC.
Photo B
Dated 1888. Old Judge baseball card of W Wilmot (88, 89). Full view at left, detail view at right. Photo date confirmed in combination with photo A. The backgrounds of both photos appear to match, and 1888 was the only year players Gilmore and Wilmot were both on the team at the same time. Wilmot wore long-sleeved version of the shirt. Detail view shows quilted padding at hips and knees. Years Wilmot with team from baseball-reference.com. Image from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Original photo by Pembroke Marshall and Francis T. Gilling, Washington DC.
Photo C
Dated 1888. Cabinet card of G Gardner (88, 89). Full view at left, detail view at right. Photo date confirmed as studio background matches photos A & B. Detail view shows subtle pinstripes on shirt and cap. Detail view also shows four shirt buttons on a placket, and a well-defined shirt pocket. It is unclear if every uniform shirt had a pocket, see photo A. Years Gardner with team from baseball-reference.com. Image from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Original photo by Pembroke Marshall and Francis T. Gilling, Washington DC.
Photo D
Dated 1888. Old Judge baseball card of B O’Brien (87-89). Full view at left, detail view at right. Photo date confirmed as studio background matches photos A & B. Photo shows short-sleeved version of shirt with dark-colored undershirt. The undershirt color was most likely red. Detail view shows subtle pinstripes in shirt, most visible in shadow areas. Years O’Brien with team from baseball-reference.com. Image from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Original photo by Pembroke Marshall and Francis T. Gilling, Washington DC.
Photo E
Dated 1888. Promotional poster for Old Judge baseball cards. Full view at left, detail view of player J Whitney (87, 88) at right. Illustration of Whitney was based on Old Judge baseball card from 1887 and colorized to reflect the 1888 uniform. A red “W” was also added to the shirt in the illustration. Years Whitney with team from baseball-reference.com. Image from Jay Miller, Joe Gonsowski and Richard Masson, The Photographic Baseball Cards of Goodwin & Company, 1886-1890 (2008).
Photo F
Dated circa 1888. Playing cards of J Whitney (87, 88) and W Wilmot (88, 89). Issue date of 1888 can be confirmed as this was the only year both men played for the team. Cards show red belts and stockings. Images from oldcardboard.com.
Photo G
Dated 1888. Old Judge baseball card of M Murray (88). Full view at left, detail view at right. Photo date confirmed as this was the only year Murray played for team. Photo shows short-sleeved version of shirt with dark-colored undershirt, and an alternative pant color in a mid-tone hue. Detail view shows subtle pinstripes in shirt, most visible in shadow areas. Year Murray with team from baseball-reference.com. Image from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Original photo by Pembroke Marshall and Francis T. Gilling, Washington DC.
Photo H
Dated 1888. Old Judge baseball card of A Boyce (88). Full view at left, detail view at right. Card was dated 1887 and then corrected to read 1888. Photo date of 1888 confirmed as Boyce only played in exhibition games for Washington in April 1888. The Washington Post reported on April 20, 1888 that the team “decided not to sign” Boyce. Photo shows alternate pants with wide dark trim on the pant seam. The pants Boyce wore in this photo had two front belt loops, while the similarly colored pants worn by Murray, see photo G, had one center belt loop. The color of the stockings in this photo appear lighter in color and do not match others from the photo session. Year Boyce with team and Washington Post report from Jay Miller, Joe Gonsowski and Richard Masson, The Photographic Baseball Cards of Goodwin & Company, 1886-1890 (2008). Image from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Original photo by Pembroke Marshall and Francis T. Gilling, Washington DC.
Photo I
Dated 1888. Washington at Boston, South End Grounds. This photo has been heavily retouched with at least three players added and many spectators painted into the stands in the background. Washington played at Boston on June 23, 25, 27, 28, then July 26, 28, and lastly September 3-5. Majority of players wore dark pants, with white belt and stockings. This matches a newspaper report from this year stating the team wore blue pants and white stockings at one point during the season. The majority of shirts worn by players were plain, and only a few shirts had the letter “W” below the left breast, similar to photos A thru D.
Top row, from left: G Shoch (86-89), J Irwin (87-89), H O’Day (86-89), P Deasley? (88), J Donnelly? (87-89), C Mack (87-89), A Myers? (87-89) and W Wilmot (88, 89). Front: J Whitney? (87, 88), D Hoy (88, 89, 92, 93), E Daily (NL 87, 88, AA 91), B O’Brien? (87-89) and S Fuller (88). Player IDs of Mack and Hoy from Ken Samoil. IDs of Shoch and Fuller from Nigel Ayres. Other player IDs are educated guesses by Samoil. Image was part of a collage of National League team photos produced in 1888 by George H. Hastings, Boston.
Dated 1888. Two detail views of photo I. These views show two players with the city name across the shirt front. Based on the irregularity of the lettering, it is likely the city name was hand-painted onto these shirts. Note different positions of lettering in relationship to the shirt opening.
Photo J
Dated May 26, 27, 1888. Year of photo can be confirmed by appearance of players Murray and Deasley and by manager Hewett. These men were only with the Washington team in 1888. A date range of May 25-29 can be determined by Hewett, who last managed a game on June 12. The Washington Post reported on June 11 that “Manager R. C. Hewett, of the Washington club, with his wife and daughter, will leave this week for several weeks’ tour through Vermont and Canada. Mr. Hewitt’s health has been failing for some time past, and he takes this recreation in the hope of regaining flesh and health. During his absence Ted Sullivan will act as manager of the home club.” There were no games played on May 26 and 27 and it possible the team was photographed at this time. May 26 was a rain out and May 27 was a Sunday with no game scheduled. The team wore a white or light-gray pinstriped shirt and white or light gray pants in this photo. A white cap can be seen in the foreground. The white cap may help to determine that the pants in this photo were light gray, though not definitively. The shirt had a pocket with the letter “W” sewn onto it, similar to the uniform shown in photos above. Players wore both long-sleeved and short-sleeved shirts in this photo. Six of the fourteen players wore white undershirts, and two wore a dark-colored undershirt. Player Murray in back row wore a shirt similar to that worn by Washington in 1887 and with a different style “W” on the shirt pocket. He also was the only player in this photo to wear pants in a mid-tone color. These may be the same pants Murray wore in his Old Judge photos, see Murray card above.
Top, from left: J Irwin (87-89), C Mack (87-89), W Wilmot (88, 89), E Daily (NL 87, 88, AA 91), G Gardner (88, 89), M Murray (88), J Donnelly (87-89), (W Hewitt, mgr 88), J Whitney (87, 88), B O’Brien (87-89) and F Gilmore (86-88). Five players sitting in front: H O’Day (86-89), P Deasley (88), D Hoy (88, 89, 92, 93), G Shoch (86-89) and A Myers (87-89). Player IDs from photo. Photo scan from Jay Miller, Joe Gonsowski and Richard Masson, The Photographic Baseball Cards of Goodwin & Company, 1886-1890 (2008). Original photo by Joseph Hall, Brooklyn.
Dated May 26, 27, 1888. Detail view of photo J. Detail view shows subtle pinstripes on shirt and collar, as well as the trim style of the shirt pocket.
Dated May 26, 27, 1888. Detail view of photo J. Detail view shows white cap with subtle pinstripes.
Written documentation on this uniform:
March 1888: “The Nationals will have and at-home and a traveling uniform this season [1888]. On the home grounds they will wear caps and shirts and blue and white striped pants, with cardinal hose. Abroad they will wear will appear in dark uniforms, either gray or blue. The new uniforms arrived Friday [March 23].” From the Washington Post, March 25, 1888, page 2.
April 1888: “The uniform of the Washingtons […] consists of white pants, light striped shirts and caps, with red stockings and belts.” From the Baltimore American, April 10, 1888, and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 12, 1888. American research from Ed Morton. Post-Dispatch research from Don Stokes.
April 1888: “Services over the remains of the dead pitcher were held at Captain Irwin’s residence at 3 o’clock yesterday afternoon [April 30]. The Washington players, in full uniform, entered the house and filed around the casket. […] The flags at the Philadelphia Ball Park are at half-mast and both the Philadelphia and Washington players wore crape on their arms in yesterday’s game.” From the Philadelphia Times, May 1, 1888. Philadelphia player Charlie Ferguson died April 29, 1888, at age 25 from typhoid fever contracted while at spring training.
April 30, 1888, Washington v. Philadelphia, at Philadelphia: “The flags were all half-masted, and the players of both teams were crape on their left arms in respect for the Phillies’ dead pitcher.” From the Philadelphia Inquirer, May 1, 1888, page 3.
May 5, 1888, Washington v. Chicago, at Chicago: “The Washington uniforms are copies of the old Chicago uniforms of last year [1887].” From the Chicago Inter Ocean, May 6, 1888. Research from Don Stokes. Note, this report implies Washington wore an all-blue uniform in 1888, similar to what Chicago wore in 1887.
May 30, 1888, Washington v. Chicago, at Washington, afternoon game: “Both teams were generously applauded as they marched across the field from the clubhouse, the Senators in their patriotic red, white and blue uniforms, and the visitors [Chicago] in their ‘dude’ suits, consisting of close fitting white jersey shirts and knickerbockers, black stockings and caps and black broadcloth ‘swallow-tails.’” From the Washington Post, May 31, 1888, page 1.
May 30, 1888, Washington v. Chicago, at Washington, headline: “Immense Crowds Welcome the Statesmen Home and They Appreciate It by Putting Up Two Splendid Games.” From the Washington (DC) National Republican, May 31, 1888, page 3. Use of the Statesmen nickname.
June 4, 1888, Washington v. Detroit, at Washington: “The Senators […] appeared in the field in uniform similar to those worn by the Detroits, and it was difficult to distinguish the opposing players.” From the Detroit Free Press, June 5, 1888, page 8, citing a special dispatch.
June 13, 1888, Washington v. Pittsburgh, at Washington: “Manager Sullivan arrived in the afternoon in occupied his seat on the players’ bench, and perhaps to his presence should be credited in part of the confidence which marked the Senators’ game.” From the Washington Post, June 14, 1888, page 2. Use of the Senators nickname.
July 1888: “The Washington uniform is almost a perfect copy of that of Detroit. The [National] League ought to allot every club its own color and thus prevent the confusion that is now seen at many games. Chicago abandoned white stockings because Detroit appropriated the color.” From the Warren Republican (Hackettstown, NJ), July 27, 1888.
1888, referenced in 1893: “Ted Sullivan, with Celtic acumen, […] managed the Washington team one season [in 1888], and when the time came for Spring practice he fitted the players out in a set of cheap and ‘loud’ uniforms and started them down in Dixie.” From the New York Clipper, December 30, 1893.
1888 Washington uniform summary
Uniform: white shirt and cap with pinstripes, white pants, red stockings
First worn:
Photographed: player portraits from year, team photo from late May
Described: March, April
Material:
Manufacturer:
Supposition:
Variations: wore memorial ribbon April 30
Other items:
Home opener report: no, April 20 v. New York
Uniform: white shirt and cap with pinstripes, blue pants, white stockings
First worn:
Photographed: team photo from year
Described: May, June, July
Material:
Manufacturer:
Supposition:
Variations: wore with red stockings
Uniform: blue, white cap and stockings
First worn:
Photographed:
Described: March
Material:
Manufacturer:
Supposition: cap style, shirt style, shirt letter
Variations:
Team genealogy:
Washington 1886-1889
Washington was formed in Washington, DC, to join the National League (NL) in 1886. The NL began operation in 1876 and Washington played in the NL between 1886 and 1889. The team disbanded after the 1889 season. Information from Wikipedia.
Rendering posted: October 30, 2025
Diggers on this uniform: Don Stokes, Ed Morton, Ken Samoil, Nigel Ayres,