Atlanta Braves Chop and Box… What’s in Your Attic?
Harry and George Wright cards. From USAToday, photo not credited.
So What’s In Your Attic?
D.J. SHORT / HARDBALLTALK.NBCSPORTS.COM
According to the Associated Press, the PBS series “Antiques Roadshow” appraised $1 million worth of 1870s Boston baseball memorabilia during their taping this past weekend in New York City. The collection, which included signatures and rare baseball cards from Boston Red Stockings players, is the largest sports memorabilia find in the 19-year history of the show.
[ Ed. notes: This is old news (from August 2014), but still fun to see. Here are some quotes from related links…
"The owner inherited it from her great-great-grandmother, who ran a Boston boarding house where the team lived in 1871-72, PBS said. According to “Antiques Roadshow” appraiser Leila Dunbar, the “crown jewel” of the items is a May 1871 letter to the Boston landlady that includes notes from three future Hall of Fame members: Albert Spalding, the future sporting good magnate, and brothers Harry and George Wright. The letter included the players’ appreciation for their host’s cooking."
Also: this wasn’t the Red Sox. It was the Boston Red Stockings – the team that ultimately became the Atlanta Braves.
If you’d like to see video of the appraisal event, click here.
I had mentioned Albert Spalding yesterday in a separate post… and here he shows up again! Harry and George Wright are interesting for another reason. They were members of the original professional baseball club – the Cincinnati Red Stockings (the Reds), which barnstormed around the country starting in 1869. After that, they moved on to Boston. ]