Heritage Auctions’ highly anticipated Platinum Night event will showcase a remarkable piece of baseball history: a poster from the 1888-89 Spalding Australian Baseball Tour. This rare artifact, one of only two known surviving posters, brings to life a significant chapter in the sport’s history when baseball legend and sporting goods tycoon Albert G. Spalding led a barnstorming tour. The tour featured games between the Chicago White Stockings and an All America team handpicked by Spalding himself, following the 1888 season.
Scheduled for February 24-25, the auction will highlight this poster as one of its key lots among nearly 2,800 items, spanning from the era of Old Judge cards to the modern exploits of players like Aaron Judge. The fact that the only other known copy of this poster resides in the Baseball Hall of Fame underscores its rarity and historical significance.
Measuring an impressive 42 inches by 28 inches, the poster is described by Heritage Auctions as “the most astonishing eight square feet of paper” ever presented in their auctions. It features images evocative of those found on Old Judge and N284 Buchner Gold Coin cards, depicting players who participated in the tour. Notably, future Hall of Famers Cap Anson, John Montgomery Ward, and Ned Hanlon are among those featured on the poster.
The Spalding Australian Baseball Tour was a daring venture conceived by Albert G. Spalding to promote baseball globally. The teams traveled through various countries, including the Sandwich Islands (now Hawaii), New Zealand, Ceylon, Egypt, Italy, France, and England, before concluding the tour with games in Australian cities like Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Ballarat. This ambitious undertaking required meticulous planning and a significant financial investment of $30,000 from Spalding himself. The tour even secured an endorsement from President Grover Cleveland.
Beyond promoting the sport, the tour also showcased baseball as America’s game, generating substantial attention and culminating in a celebratory banquet at Delmonico’s restaurant in New York City upon the teams’ return.
The poster, aside from its historical value, offers a unique glimpse into the early professionalization of baseball and its efforts to reach a global audience. With a pre-sale estimate of $100,000, it presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for collectors to own a rare piece of the sport’s storied past.
Heritage Auctions’ Platinum Night Sale is sure to captivate baseball enthusiasts and collectors alike. The auction serves as a platform to celebrate and preserve the rich history of America’s favorite pastime, offering a chance to own a tangible piece of baseball’s heritage.