Homestead Grays

Object Details

Artist: Charles "Teenie" Harris, 1908 - 1998
Sitter: Jerry Benjamin, 1909 - 1974; Roy Partlow, 1912 - 1987; Josh Gibson, 21 Dec 1911 - 20 Jan 1947; John Richard Wright, Jr., 1916 - 1990; Chester Williams, 1908 - 1952; Ray Brown, 1908 - 1968; John Leftwich; J. C. Hamilton; Robert Gaston, 19 Mar 1910 - 11 Feb 2000; Walter Leonard, 1907 - 1997; David Whatley, 1914 - 1992; Jud Wilson, 1899 - 1963; Matthew Carlisle, 1910 - 1972; Charles Gary, 1920 - 2011; Sam Bankhead, 1905 - 1976; Roy Welmaker, 1913 - 1998; Howard Easterling, 1911 - 1993; Vic Harris, 1905 - 1978

Exhibition Label: Formed in the steel town of Homestead, Pennsylvania, in 1912 by former player Cumberland Posey, the Homestead Grays would become one of baseball's greatest clubs and gate attractions, operating for thirty-eight seasons.; At this time, major league baseball banned African American players; only in other leagues could they compete professionally. By 1935 the Grays were playing in the Negro National League. In 1937 hitting catcher Josh Gibson returned to the Grays from the Pittsburgh Crawfords and teamed with slugger Buck Leonard to lead them to an unprecedented nine Negro League championships.; The major league's ban on black players ended in 1947, when Jackie Robinson opened the season as starting first baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Negro National League collapsed soon thereafter. The Grays struggled as an independent club for two years, but disbanded at the close of the 1950 season.

1942 (printed 1993)

Medium: Gelatin silver print
Dimensions: Image: 38.7 x 48.8cm (15 1/4 x 19 3/16"); Sheet: 40.4 x 50.3cm (15 7/8 x 19 13/16"); Mat: 55.9 x 71.1cm (22 x 28")

National Portrait Gallery

Topic: Equipment\Sports Equipment\Baseball Equipment\Baseball; Exterior\Sports arena\Baseball stadium; Josh Gibson: Male; Josh Gibson: Sports and Recreation\Athlete\Baseball; Jerry Benjamin: Male; Jerry Benjamin: Sports and Recreation\Athlete\Baseball; Roy Partlow: Male; Roy Partlow: Sports and Recreation\Athlete\Baseball; Matthew Carlisle: Male; Matthew Carlisle: Sports and Recreation\Athlete\Baseball; Charles Gary: Male; Charles Gary: Sports and Recreation\Athlete\Baseball; Sam Bankhead: Male; Sam Bankhead: Sports and Recreation\Athlete\Baseball; John Richard Wright, Jr.: Male; John Richard Wright, Jr.: Sports and Recreation\Athlete\Baseball; Chester Williams: Male; Chester Williams: Sports and Recreation\Athlete\Baseball; Ray Brown: Male; Ray Brown: Sports and Recreation\Athlete\Baseball; John Leftwich: Male; John Leftwich: Sports and Recreation\Athlete\Baseball; J. C. Hamilton: Male; J. C. Hamilton: Sports and Recreation\Athlete\Baseball; Robert Gaston: Male; Robert Gaston: Sports and Recreation\Athlete\Baseball; Walter Leonard: Male; Walter Leonard: Sports and Recreation\Athlete\Baseball; David Whatley: Male; David Whatley: Sports and Recreation\Athlete\Baseball; Jud Wilson: Male; Jud Wilson: Sports and Recreation\Athlete\Baseball; Roy Welmaker: Male; Roy Welmaker: Sports and Recreation\Athlete\Baseball; Howard Easterling: Male; Howard Easterling: Sports and Recreation\Athlete\Baseball; Vic Harris: Male; Vic Harris: Sports and Recreation\Athlete\Baseball; Portrait

GUID (Link to Original Record): http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm490707ca0-d633-4fae-9f20-e754dd435fef