Call out for deadball era ballpark ad images
 

As you might know, I’m trying to finish my collection of major league ballparks since 1901. I’m kind of blowing through the last batch of deadball era parks which have very little good photographic evidence to go on.

Anyway, Instead of spending more time trying to find some images of old ads o could use on the walls/fences of these parks, I was hoping I could enlist the help of some of you to find good ones for me and post them here. It would be much easier and more efficient time-wise to have a repository of old ad images to pick from. (This could be great for any other ballpark creators also)

I created a post on the 3D model forum as well. I’m hoping I can get some great graphics people to come up with some cool stuff. Thanks!

Mike


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I created about a dozen Pittsburgh deadball era signboards recently using old photo archives and accessible newspaper ads. It was more difficult than I expected. As popular as advertising was in the early 1900s, it must've been deemed expendable because very little survived to be photographed in detail. Interestingly, most of the deadball ballpark signboards in Pittsburgh were for cigars, local whiskey, local beer or local department stores.

However, I'm working on an update to your Exposition Park so I want to save them for that submission. An example:

Wow very nice. When you say you are working on an update, do you mean using my sketchup model to ad your signage?


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Yes and to also correct the skyline image albeit with today's Google view since a vintage perspective would be near impossible. Homeplate faced the river, what is now Point State Park, and parts of Mt. Washington. The former bridges have been demolished.

Turkish Trophies Cigarettes
 

Based on a photo of the Polo Grounds RF during the 1912 World Series I began researching a signboard for Turkish Trophies (cigarettes). I came across a few historical photos with the similar signboard but nothing in color. Utilizing color photos of surviving memorabilia and print ads, I created a replica image. Since the replica is bland, I created another signboard with more color. Probably more representative of 1920s or 1930s advertising than the deadball era.

Add: The same signboard was used in the outfields of Hilltop Park and Washington Park.
Add: Also seen on the big RF wall of the Baker Bowl
Add: Seen on the lower LF wall of 1912 Fenway Park

Wow great job


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Check out my Google drive link. I just found a guy on Twitter who does find ads from the early 20th century all from Chicago.

A lot of them look like they are longer vertical than horizontal, sorry about that. Just thought you might be able to crop some of them.

Hope these help. I'll keep an eye out for more.

https://drive.google.com/folderview?...B9htfGHpK8ZEt3

Not sure where I found these...probably some Stratomatic board...but here's 2D images of deadball parks. Not sure if any can help..got a bunch more if you want them.

1) South End Grounds
2) West Side Park
3) Palace of the Fans

Fatima Cigarettes
 

A national brand that had a signboard on the Polo Grounds IV LF wall for many years that seemed easy enough to create. Quickly became a PIA due to the lack of quality photos and the company's unidentified font. Luckily, came across an auction photo for a 1910 trolley sign (https://www.worthpoint.com/) that had the perfect graphics. Manipulation became harder than expected due to the low resolution. Colors are estimates based on period correct memorabilia.

Add: The same signboard was used in the outfields of Hilltop Park, Washington Park, and Huntington Avenue Grounds.
Add: Seen it on the LF wall of 1912 Fenway Park.

I added about 30 new ads and posters all based out of Cleveland. Tried to find some more horizontal pictures this time

https://drive.google.com/folderview?...agdGSDI7Ewo1Yi

Apollinaris water
 

Found on the Polo Grounds LF wall per the previous photos. Settled on a scanned historical print ad found online (NYU digital archive?) to rework. Poor resolution, so I had to cleanup the font pixel-by-pixel.

You certainly are a man of detail. Great work!


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Jack Daniel's
 

In my search for historical artwork and photos of various Whiskey brands, I came across this wonderful image on Ebay. This would have been published before Tennessee's prohibition in 1909 as the Gunter brothers were helping Jack Daniel promote and sell whiskey regionally from their store in Nashville beginning sometime around 1904. I suspect the advertisement only reached the South and Midwest.

White Rose Motor Gasoline
 

Came across an interesting sign from the 1910s on Ebay. I believe this was a Canadian brand though. Maybe advertised in the northern states?

Wow...these are all stunning, kudos to you all

Random signs
 

Saved some random images while hunting the interwebs. Locale, history, and time period unknown but they seemed to fit the theme.

Out of Home Advertising Association of America
 

Another reference is an organization that was founded in 1891 as Outdoor Advertising Association of America "the primary professional organization throughout the modern history of the outdoor advertising industry in the U.S."

https://oaaa.org/

There is an archive at the Duke University Libraries but digital images don't appear to be public domain.

https://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/.../oaaaarchives/

Jacob Adler & Co. (Adlers Gloves)
 

A glove manufacturer in New York State, this ad is seen as early as 1906 in the Polo Grounds RF grandstands. Not much to go on other than a 1912 postcard, a 1917 sales order, and previous recreation attempts in another forum. I suspect a form of this banner was used in all the deadball NYC parks.

Add: I don't believe this Polo Grounds photo is from 1906. More likely a few years later or even the Polo Grounds IV.

Truly Warner Hats
 

This clock ad featured in the 1906 Polo Grounds photo above was for the Truly Warner Hats store started in NYC during the early 1900s. A recent article here, notes the owner's interest in professional baseball including the $100 purchase of Babe Ruth's 60th homerun the day it was caught by a fan in 1927.

Not much to go on for color references other than a gold metallic hat label so this is much of my own interpretation...

Young's Hats
 

An ad used in various forms at the Polo Grounds can be seen in this 1910 photo (RCF grandstands). I found an image online of a similar sign, cleaned it up, and stretched it into the banner shown.

Edit: Just came across this banner on the 1910 Hilltop Park's RCF outfield wall.
Edit: Seen on the LF outfield wall (fouline) of 1920 Ebbets Field