A collection of seven 1893 Cleveland Spiders cabinet photos once owned by baseball great Cy Young have been consigned to auction and are on display at the 2014 National Sports Collectors Convention.
The photos, including the original 1930’s era envelope the Hall of Fame pitcher used to mail them—with his Peoli, OH return address–have never been sold at auction before.
Young pitched for the Cleveland Spiders and led the team to the Temple Cup in 1896, which was the precursor to the World Series that began in 1903.
In addition to the individual photos, there is a Spiders team composite cabinet produced in 1896. The centerpiece is a photograph of Young himself produced by the Pifer & Becker Photo Palace of Cleveland and bearing Young’s signature.
Four other Pifer & Becker cabinets in the collection feature Young’s Cleveland teammates Chief Zimmer, Patsy Tebeau, Ed McKean and Hall of Fame legend Buck Ewing.
The collection belonged to an Ohio man who acquired them years ago and is now opting to sell the photos.
The autographs have been authenticated by PSA/DNA.
The photos are on display along with other items from SCP’s upcoming auction, at their booth inside the National Sports Collectors Convention at the I-X Center.
See the photos and watch our interview with SCP’s Dan Imler below.
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