Just looking for some opinions - same person?

[gracecollector]

The photos on the left and right are of a 1890's baseball beat writer and author. They are from small pictures in an 1893 book. They are the best quality I can get them. I can't find any other photos of this person online. These two photos are from 1892. His weird dress and fez hat are because he was on a world tour visiting Egypt.

The center photo is a cabinet photo with the same name as the writer written on back, but it's a common name. The photographer's mark on the card places the photo being taken between 1880 and 1890. So I assume the photo in the middle would be about 5 years younger than the others.

Just asking for opinions - is this the same person? I've compared eyes, ears, chin and nose and I'm just not sure. Anyone see anything that would point to being different people?

 

[MrMet]

I’ts damn hard to tell, but I’d guess same...but I’m really curious why you’re asking...


Sent from my iPhone using Freedom Card Board mobile app

 

[gracecollector]

Found this illustration too, to compare. Illustration would also be about 6-8 years older than photo.

 

[finestkind]

It's hard to tell, with the photos being so old. I don't think it's the same person. The photo in the middle, the mans face looks a bit wider. And the bottom of his chin is more square. Fez hats were worn through out the middle east from Turkey to Morocco and Pakistan.

What's his name ?

 

[KLARNOLD]

The left & right photos show a unibrow. I don't think the middle one is the same person

 

[mrmopar]

Dudes knew how to grow epic mustaches back then. I suppose some can grow them now, just less fashionable.

 

[swish54_99]

I don't think it's the same person. The middle one's head is more round, where the outer two is longer.

 

[tramers]

not same ---- fez hat style of Turkey ----the artist changed style to look more European for changing in political reason / control . Flowers were western culture .top three look at nose flair

 

[gracecollector]

The Fez hat was because he was in Ghizeh (now Giza) Egypt on the 1888 Spalding World Tour. He's definitely an American. His name is Harry Clay Palmer and in the mid 1880's he lived in Chicago and covered the White Stockings (now Cubs) for the Chicago Times and Chicago Tribune. He also wrote for The Sporting Life magazine. He wrote two important early books about baseball - "Athletic Sports in America, England and Australia (1889)" and "Sights Around the World with the Baseball Tourists (1892)".

I can only find the two photos of him that I posted. The middle photo is from a cabinet card I found online. It was taken in LaCrosse WI, about 450 miles from Chicago. The photographer, W.A. Pryor, operated a studio in LaCrosse from 1884-1890. On the back of the cabinet card is penciled "Bertha & Harry Palmer."

Given the overlapping time frames, close proximity of studio and Harry C. Palmer's residence, the fact that Harry traveled extensively covering the White Stockings, and the close resemblance, I'm tending to think they are the same person - shot a few years apart.

However - I have no idea who Bertha was and even if Harry C. Palmer was ever married.

I decided yesterday to take a chance on the cabinet card for $8, and maybe have one of the only known photos of him. Not that anyone but me would really care. I recently bought a 1st edition copy of his book "Sights Around the World with the Baseball Tourists" and found the card researching him. Not 100% sure it's him, but pieces fit pretty well, and hoping some additional research may turn up a better image to compare. His biographical information is sketchy at best - no known date of death, no marriage info, etc. Only good info is in his first book, and that only covers details to 1889, when he was 28 years old.

 

[finestkind]

Great information ! I learned something today.

 

[theplasticman]

I live an hour west of LaCrosse. Fascinating info.

 

[Shaggy]

The Fez hat was because he was in Ghizeh (now Giza) Egypt on the 1888 Spalding World Tour. He's definitely an American. His name is Harry Clay Palmer and in the mid 1880's he lived in Chicago and covered the White Stockings (now Cubs) for the Chicago Times and Chicago Tribune. He also wrote for The Sporting Life magazine. He wrote two important early books about baseball - "Athletic Sports in America, England and Australia (1889)" and "Sights Around the World with the Baseball Tourists (1892)".

I can only find the two photos of him that I posted. The middle photo is from a cabinet card I found online. It was taken in LaCrosse WI, about 450 miles from Chicago. The photographer, W.A. Pryor, operated a studio in LaCrosse from 1884-1890. On the back of the cabinet card is penciled "Bertha & Harry Palmer."

Given the overlapping time frames, close proximity of studio and Harry C. Palmer's residence, the fact that Harry traveled extensively covering the White Stockings, and the close resemblance, I'm tending to think they are the same person - shot a few years apart.

However - I have no idea who Beverly was and even if Harry C. Palmer was ever married.

I decided yesterday to take a chance on the cabinet card for $8, and maybe have one of the only known photos of him. Not that anyone but me would really care. I recently bought a 1st edition copy of his book "Sights Around the World with the Baseball Tourists" and found the card researching him. Not 100% sure it's him, but pieces fit pretty well, and hoping some additional research may turn up a better image to compare. His biographical information is sketchy at best - no known date of death, no marriage info, etc. Only good info is in his first book, and that only covers details to 1889, when he was 28 years old.


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I really love seeing posts like this. Love seeing chance these older players and photos.

 

[Mozzie22]

I tend to agree with you on this being the same person, Brad. The wide chin is what i see linking them. Could be the angle of the photo but that man has huge hands.