c.1910 Champion Original Bloomer Girls Base Ball Club Postcard

The Original Bloomer Girls Baseball Club get the royal hand tint treatment here on a striking postcard. One example was mailed in 1911. (This card has often been offered by unscrupulous sellers claiming the figure at the bottom left is Hall of Famer Addie Joss, but that the player is not Joss.) Matte postcard features nine team members in full uniform along w/period baseball equipment in foreground. "Champion Original Bloomer Girls Base Ball Club, J. L. Galbreath, Owner" text along bottom. This postcard image has caused a great deal of controversy over the years as many baseball historians believe that the male player seated at the far right in front is none other than future Boston Red Sox star pitcher, Smokey Joe Wood. Additionally, the male player seated at far left bears an uncanny resemblance to HOF pitcher Addie Joss. Although there is documented evidence that Wood did play for Galbreath's Bloomer Girls team, there is no such supporting evidence that Joss ever played for such a club. To this day, many collectors still believe that at least Wood is pictured here and historical sales prices would support such an assumption.