anonymous Lancaster Ironsides baseballer (1884?)

Click to embiggen.

Grabbed from the New York Public Library's photo image collection.

I love the Buffalo Bill Cody style button front of this jersey and the sheer manly charisma of this dapper gent who fills out his uniform. The Lancaster Ironsides of the Eastern League seemed to only exist for the 1884 season, where they competed with the ingeniously named Lancaster Lancasters for the hearts of Lancasterers.

According to the Lancaster Historical Society's website:

"At the end of the 1884 season, the teams finally agreed to a play-off series. The event brought thousands of fans to Lancaster's ballparks. After seven close games, the Ironsides took the title as Lancaster's best professional team. In the following days, the two teams joined for celebration and even played a game to benefit one of the Ironsides players who had fallen on hard times. In the end, the players showed little animosity toward one another, but the owners and the fans found that having two baseball teams in Lancaster strained their love of the game. Only the Lancasters continued into the 1885 season."

Heavy Metal t-shirt (1977)

"From Heavy Metal, naturally, come the most beautiful t-shirts you will ever see or wear. They are find 100% cotton with Franch-cut sleeves for both men and women. They come in black or red with the Heavy Metal logo in silver metal that's flacks as thick as your finger. There's never been a shirt as spectacular as this. "

The Varsity Sweater (1907)

Crew varsity sweater, as illustrated by JC Leyendecker (1907)

Bathing Beauties (1935)

Three finalists of Seashore Day, Elks National Convention Bathing Beauty Contest in Los Angeles, Calif., 1935.

I'll take the dame in the middle.

Maria Grygier photographed by Charles Cushman (1949)

From the Charles M. Cushman photograph collection.

I love the absolutely classic beauty and style of Ms. Grygier. Note the appendectomy (?) scar in the middle image. More girls should rock a turban with their swimwear.

Shawknit Stockings

I found these delightful spot illustrations in one of my favorite online haunts, Duke University's Emergeance in Advertising in America online digital collection.

Here is anoter example of how the history of America is written in its disposible items: Benjamin Shaw, the inventor of "seamless stocking" or "half stocking" aka the sock, was a vehement Abolitionist and one of the founding fathers of Lowell, Massachusetts.

You learn something new every day!

Hunter S. Thompson wore Izod

Toffee Wrapper from the Twenties

American Ball Game (sic) Toffee, going after that lucrative St. Louis Browns fan demographic.


Hooray- Spring Training begins this week! March is the best month to live in Arizona without a doubt. I am going to see two of my most hated teams on the first weekend in March- The Flubs and Dodgers- but my family is coming in town so that should be fun. I'll take lots of photos.

Connie Hawkins basketball card (1971)

Boss Hog t-shirt (1995)

from the absolutely brilliant "my life in t-shirts" post on the absolutely brilliant Secret Fun Blog

Joy Division t-shirt (1980)

swiped from Defunkd's ebay auction wow, if I had $194 dollars and a size extra small torso, i would buy this in a heartbeat. This is an otherworldly shirt.

Wrangler jeans tag books

Wrangler placed these little books on their tags in the Forties and Fifties. I need these!

thermal porn underwear (1975)

from Eaton's catalog, 1975. Back when male models could kick your ass and f your wife.

rejected Chicago White Sox uniform prototypes (1982)

from Whitesoxcards.

The White Sox unis of the late Seventies and early 80s are widely considered some of the worst in baseball history, so a redesign was slated for 1982. These were the rejects! That Dan Marino softball jersey would have set back South Side cooldom for decades. I do like the Joliet Jake prison striped sleeves a little. The one in the middle was the closest to the finished product.

Them t-shirt as flyer as art as design (1965)

"In 1965 Colin Fulcher – as he was then - won a national design award for the poster, which stemmed from a photo session the previous year with his girlfriend, fellow student and artist Lorry Sartorio."

from Reasons to be Cheerful 's blog about rock and roll designer Mr. Bubbles

A ton of trouble- the Steelers' front four (1975)

TIME cover: 12-08-1975 on The Pittsburgh Steelers. On cover: (L-R) L.C. Greenwood, Dwight White, Ernie Holmes and Joe Greene. Photo Credits: (Clockwise from Top R) L. C. Greenwood, Dwight White and Ernie Holmes by Shelly Katz-Black Star; Joe Greene by Steve Northup.


cool art- i'm pulling for the Cardinals.