The Cardboard Connection – Conlon Photography

This week on The Cardboard Connection, Sports Card Info wrote and article about Charles Conlon and his photography.  If your a longtime baseball fan and collector, I’m sure that you have seen his images before.  Be sure to check out the site.

Classic Baseball Photography

Over the years baseball photography has changed quite a bit.  Take this image of Cap Anson for example:

When was the last time you saw a current baseball player have their picture taken like this?  Probably never.  This image in particular got my attention the other day when I was sorting through my top loaders as I was in the middle of a trade.  The above picture was used for a 2003 Upper Deck SP Legendary Cuts base card.  What stood out to me the most was the flowers off to the left.  I can’t tell you the last time I saw any sports card that featured an athlete with flowers.  In today’s hobby, athletes are pictured playing their sport.  The image of Anson looks like it was taken in a studio.  Back then getting photographs taken out on the field was probably a hard thing to do.  You also have to take into consideration the time period Anson played in (1871-1897).  Getting your picture taken back then was a big deal.  Nowadays with cameras around every corner, you don’t see pictures like this anymore.  When I first saw this picture, I thought it should be hanging in my grandma’s house just because the way it was taken.  In my opinion, I think it would interesting to see Topps come out with a set that featured players in classic poses like this.

Last, but certaintly not least.  I wonder what happened to the uniform and bat Anson is pictured with?  He is one of the hardest Hall of Famers to obtain memorabilia of.  It wouldn’t surprise me it it was all laying in an attic somewhere.