RPPC RT&L Shops Basketball Team 1921–22 Industrial League Portrait
$35.00
Condition: *Please* use the Hip photo magnifier to check for flaws on each picture, mouse over to zoom and ... Read more about the seller notes *Please* use the Hip photo magnifier to check for flaws on each picture ... Read More
Condition: *Please* use the Hip photo magnifier to check for flaws on each picture, mouse over to zoom and ... Read more about the seller notes *Please* use the Hip photo magnifier to check for flaws on each picture, mouse over to zoom and click to enlarge. Comes from a smoke free home. Common errors from the scanner vs damage are digital lines (usually grey or pink), cutting off the top of the card/words. Read Less about the seller notes
This excellent real photo postcard (RPPC) captures the RT&L Shops basketball team for the 1921–22 season, shown in a professional studio portrait complete with period uniforms, knee guards, and early athletic footwear. The ball at the players’ feet is clearly marked “R.T.&L. Shops 1921–22,” providing an exact season and team identification.“RT&L Shops” most likely refers to the Railway, Transit & Light (or Railway, Traction & Light) shops, a common name for major railroad or streetcar system repair facilities during the early 20th century. Many large railroads—especially in the Midwest and Northeast—operated organized Industrial League sports teams. These leagues were extremely popular between 1900 and the 1930s, offering recreation, team building, and social competition for employees of major companies such as railroads, power companies, steel mills, and manufacturing plants.Industrial basketball teams like this were part of a huge cultural movement, predating widespread collegiate and professional sports. Thousands of workers played in these leagues, and many early professional athletes got their start on factory or shop teams.The players wear sleeveless athletic shirts stamped “R T & L Shops”, wool shorts, striped socks, and early laced high-top basketball shoes. Several team members have protective leather knee pads—an early form of equipment used before modern hardwood courts and safety regulations.The studio backdrop features ornate Victorian architectural details, suggesting the portrait was taken in a well-established regional photography studio. The sharply dressed coach or manager stands behind the seated players, adding to the formality of the portrait.Card Details:Format: Real Photo Postcard (RPPC)Date: 1921–22 season (printed on the basketball)Subject: Industrial League basketball team, railroad/traction shop employeesLocation: Not explicitly stated; likely Midwest or East Coast based on industrial naming conventions of the eraCondition:Photo side: Excellent clarity; light edge wear; small area of toning in upper-left corner.Back: Unused; clean; standard divided back with decorative logo.Size: Approx. 3.5” x 5.5”This is a terrific and uncommon piece of industrial sports history, ideal for collectors of railroad ephemera, early basketball, workplace leagues, 1920s athletics, and RPPC team portraits.Feel free to reach out with any questions!
This excellent real photo postcard (RPPC) captures the RT&L Shops basketball team for the 1921–22 season, shown in a professional studio portrait complete with period uniforms, knee guards, and early athletic footwear. The ball at the players’ feet is clearly marked “R.T.&L. Shops 1921–22,” providing an exact season and team identification.“RT&L Shops” most likely refers to the Railway, Transit & Light (or Railway, Traction & Light) shops, a common name for major railroad or streetcar system repair facilities during the early 20th century. Many large railroads—especially in the Midwest and Northeast—operated organized Industrial League sports teams. These leagues were extremely popular between 1900 and the 1930s, offering recreation, team building, and social competition for employees of major companies such as railroads, power companies, steel mills, and manufacturing plants.Industrial basketball teams like this were part of a huge cultural movement, predating widespread collegiate and professional sports. Thousands of workers played in these leagues, and many early professional athletes got their start on factory or shop teams.The players wear sleeveless athletic shirts stamped “R T & L Shops”, wool shorts, striped socks, and early laced high-top basketball shoes. Several team members have protective leather knee pads—an early form of equipment used before modern hardwood courts and safety regulations.The studio backdrop features ornate Victorian architectural details, suggesting the portrait was taken in a well-established regional photography studio. The sharply dressed coach or manager stands behind the seated players, adding to the formality of the portrait.Card Details:Format: Real Photo Postcard (RPPC)Date: 1921–22 season (printed on the basketball)Subject: Industrial League basketball team, railroad/traction shop employeesLocation: Not explicitly stated; likely Midwest or East Coast based on industrial naming conventions of the eraCondition:Photo side: Excellent clarity; light edge wear; small area of toning in upper-left corner.Back: Unused; clean; standard divided back with decorative logo.Size: Approx. 3.5” x 5.5”This is a terrific and uncommon piece of industrial sports history, ideal for collectors of railroad ephemera, early basketball, workplace leagues, 1920s athletics, and RPPC team portraits.Feel free to reach out with any questions!
Seller Information
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- thepapergallery2 (2193)
- Registered Since
- 06/23/2010
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- The Paper Gallery
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- Item Location
- California, United States
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- Worldwide
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