Historic 1864 Baseball CDV With ‘Father of Baseball’ Henry Chadwick Resurfaces

Originally published for Sports Collectors Daily on March 19, 2026 By Rich Mueller

An extraordinary surviving artifact from baseball’s formative years—an 1864 Brooklyn Resolutes carte-de-visite (CDV) featuring pioneering journalist Henry Chadwick—is up for bid in REA’s Spring Catalog Auction. Long regarded by historians as one of the earliest and most significant team CDVs, the piece occupies a rare intersection of photography, Civil War–era America, and the codification of the National Pastime.

Graded “Authentic” by PSA, the photograph is one of just two examples known to exist. Its survival alone would make it notable. Its content elevates it into a different category entirely.

A Team Image That Extends Beyond the Field

The Brooklyn Resolutes were among the stronger clubs of the early 1860s, competing at a time when baseball was still evolving from loosely organized club play into a more formalized sport. Yet what distinguishes this image is not only the team itself, but who stands among them.

At the far right is Chadwick, already a central figure in shaping how the game was recorded and understood. Often called the “Father of Baseball,” Chadwick’s influence is difficult to overstate. Drawing on his background in cricket, he introduced the box score, helped standardize statistical record-keeping, and advocated for rule changes that pushed baseball toward its modern form. His eventual induction into the Hall of Fame in 1938 underscores his foundational role.

Also pictured is Mort Rogers, an important but lesser-known contributor to baseball’s early media ecosystem. Rogers later became associated with visually distinctive photographic scorecards in Boston and co-published The New England Base Ballist, one of the first newspapers devoted exclusively to the sport. At the opposite end of the composition stands his brother, A.H. Rogers, serving as the club’s secretary—a reminder that early baseball clubs were as much social organizations as competitive teams.

A Photograph With Lingering Mysteries

The CDV’s reverse bears the stamp of Reger’s Photograph Rooms on Arch Street in Philadelphia, along with period notations referencing the Athletic Club and a date of April 25, 1861. However, researchers—drawing on player identifications and historical context—have long placed the image closer to 1864.

One of the most intriguing elements is the presence of Dick McBride, a star pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics, seated at the far left. His inclusion in a Resolutes team image has puzzled historians for decades. The most plausible explanation ties the photograph to the 1864 Philadelphia tournaments, major events that drew top clubs from Brooklyn and the surrounding region.

These tournaments unfolded against the backdrop of the Civil War. McBride, like many players of the era, was serving in the Union Army and had been unable to participate regularly. Contemporary accounts suggest he received a brief furlough—reportedly just three days—to return and pitch, underscoring both his importance and the symbolic weight these contests carried for civic pride. His presence in this photograph likely reflects that unusual and historically specific circumstance.

A Benchmark in Early Baseball Photography

Beyond its subjects, the image stands out for its photographic quality and composition. Even by modern standards, the clarity is striking; the word “Resolute” is legible on a player’s belt, a remarkable detail for a mid-19th century albumen print. The arrangement—players seated, standing, and reclining in a carefully staged studio setting—illustrates how early baseball teams chose to present themselves: disciplined, organized, and respectable.

The offered example also carries added significance as the plate specimen reproduced in Mark Rucker’s seminal 1988 reference, Baseball Cartes: The First Baseball Cards. For collectors and historians alike, that provenance cements its status as a touchstone within the hobby.

Its arrival on the auction block is the first in 19 years when REA sold it for $47,000.

Rarity and Historical Weight

Early baseball CDVs are scarce by nature; most clubs of the 1860s were only occasionally photographed, and survival rates are low. A team image featuring figures of Chadwick’s stature—and tied to a moment as contextually rich as the Civil War-era tournaments—is rarer still.

With only two known examples, the likelihood of another surfacing is exceedingly slim.