The incomparable 19th century baseball researcher, Craig Brown, has a proposal out to produce his great work in a published book. Craig posts all of his research through his website, Threads of Our Game, and it is the best resource for 19th century baseball uniforms. The findings you see for the 19th Century St. Louis Browns on this website would not be possible nor complete without the help and collaboration with Craig. Please, check it out!!! https://www.threadsofourgame.com/about/book-proposal/
And if you are a book publisher or know someone who is, you can contact Craig to discuss this project further.
Book Proposal:
Introducing OLD BASEBALL THREADS, the Book of Early Baseball Fashion.
by Craig Brown
Bringing the colors of the early game back to life.
With this one-of-a-kind reference book, Craig Brown shows how 19th-century baseball really looked, an era today that exists only as sepia tone. OLD BASEBALL THREADS is designed to appeal to the ardent baseball fan, the passionate collector, and to those who enjoy the history of the sport.
• See how the first known baseball uniform of 1849 looked in full color, replete with long pants and a straw hat.
• See the shockingly colorful stockings of the 1870s and the crazy striped uniforms of the 1880s, ones the players themselves called clown suits.
• See the uniforms of early African-American teams, never before thoroughly studied and presented.
• See the first uniforms of your favorite teams — and learn more about the game through the uniforms of the game.
• OLD BASEBALL THREADS covers five decades of baseball fashion, from 1849 to 1900.
More than 800 full-color uniform renderings are at the center of the book, created by the author over a 12-year period and meticulously researched and documented in tandem with members of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). Now fans and historians alike can hold in their hands the true colors of the early game.
“This book looks terrific in every way — beautiful, informative, with eye-opening research into the history of the game.”
—Todd Radom, author of Winning Ugly, co-author of Fabric of the Game, and creator of some of the most familiar icons in professional sports branding
“The sheer work and research that goes into each uniform Craig covers is amazing. Needs to be seen to be believed.”
—Gary Cieradkowski, award-winning artist, baseball historian, and author of Outsider Baseball: An Illustrated History of Baseball’s Forgotten Heroes
In 1992, when baseball historian Marc Okkonen published his seminal work, The Baseball Uniforms of the 20th Century, he created a new category of baseball fan: the uniform aficionado. Now over 30 years later, a companion piece is available for uniform lovers everywhere — one that dovetails with Okkonen’s study and that focuses on the game’s formative period, the 19th century.
Yes, there was baseball before 1900. In fact, the first recorded uniform was worn by the Knickerbocker Club of New York in 1849. The game became a national obsession following the Civil War. With further growth came professionalism, the first organized leagues, and the game’s first stars: Cap Anson, King Kelly, Cy Young and a youthful John McGraw.
However, the visual history of the early game has faded over time, literally and figuratively, and for many years the subject seemed too daunting to ever research and compile. No comprehensive study existed telling who wore what and when before 1900 — until now.
Interested in publishing OLD BASEBALL THREADS?
Email Craig Brown here, or call or text 678-591-8999. Thank you.
Specifications of the book.
• Title: Old Baseball Threads, The Book of Early Baseball Fashion, From the First Knickerbocker Uniform of 1849 to the National League Togs of 1900.
• Author: Craig Brown
• Illustrations: over 800 full-color uniform renderings
• Period photographs: 25 to 30
• Page count: 96 pp.
• Page size: 9 x 11.75, or smaller square format
• MSRP: $44.95 hardcover
• Release date: Spring 2027
• Categories:
—-Sports & Recreation / baseball / history
—-Visual Arts / graphic design / history
—-Visual Arts / fashion design / history
—-Antiques & Collectibles / baseball
• Licensing/endorsement: tbd
About the author.
Craig Brown is the creator of the online uniform database, Threads Of Our Game, featuring over 2,500 uniform renderings, each meticulously documented and drawn by the author. Craig is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) and was recognized by the organization in 2018 for “significant contributions to the knowledge and understanding of historical baseball imagery.” He is a 3x presenter on the subject of the early game at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, NY. SABR has called Threads Of Our Game “possibly the best 19th-century baseball pictorial site in existence.” Craig is a design and marketing professional living in sunny Georgia.
Read recent posts by the author at the Threads News Feed blog here.
See what others are saying about the Threads Of Our Game website here:
Contents of the book.
—Note that the majority of content for this book has been completed, and that all page design and final files will be produced and provided by the author.
1. Foreword: opening remarks from a noted baseball author or historian.
2. Introduction: stories of early baseball uniforms gleaned from newspapers of the period and accompanied with imagery from notable photographic collections.
—–Anecdotes will tell how Cincinnati became the first team to wear short pants and exposed stockings in the 1860s, and why the Victorian trend to wear black nearly wiped out the notion of team color in the 1890s.
3. Uniform histories by city — a series of montages pertaining to the places where baseball first flourished: Baltimore, Boston, Brooklyn, Buffalo, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Louisville, Milwaukee, Minneapolis & St. Paul, New York, Ontario & Quebec, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, The South, Texas, Washington DC, and The West.
—–This section will bring a unique regional interest to the book, and will tell the visual history of many of today’s MLB teams.
—–Section will also include uniform histories of the “New York Game” (pre-1865), as well as, pioneering African-American Clubs (pre-1900).
4. Uniform almanac: a year-by-year look at the uniforms of the top professional leagues: the National Association, 1871-1875; the National League, 1876-1900; the American Association, 1882-1891; the Players’ League, 1890; and the Western/American League, 1894-1900.
5. Uniform documentation: thumbnail visuals and excerpts from contemporary newspaper reports supporting the presented information.
Audience for the book.
1. General sports enthusiast
——Casually follows all sports. Would enjoy this book as a birthday or Father’s Day gift
2. Baseball history enthusiast
——Enjoys reading about the game’s past. Would buy this book to add to their library
——Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), over 7,000 members interested in the history of the game
——Vintage Base Ball Association, an organization of over 3,400 playing the game today by 19th-century rules and in period dress
3. Sports memorabilia collector
——Has wherewithal to purchase uniforms, baseball cards, and printed ephemera of their favorite teams. Would buy this book as a reference when verifying 19th-century items
4. Quirky book collector
——Enjoys books on graphic design, period photography, cultural history, and quirky deep dives on a subject. Would buy this book for their library or coffee table, or gladly receive as a gift
In addition to those following the history of the game, OLD BASEBALL THREADS will also find a home with those interested in period graphic design, the colors of the Victorian era, and the visual culture of America and sport before 1900.
Proposed marketing plan.
• Create links to book-selling portals via the Threads Of Our Game website
• Outreach to the “Threads” community, over 300 followers interested in the project and over 70 who have actively contributed information
• Outreach to members of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), an organization of over 7,400 members and over 70 regional chapters
• Targeted outreach to members of the SABR 19th-century Committee, a sub-group of over 700 with a keen interest in the early game, includes historians and authors
• Outreach to members of the Vintage Base Ball Association (VBBA), an organization of over 3,400 playing baseball by 19th-century rules and in period uniforms
• Outreach via baseball forums net54baseball.com and ootpdevelopments.com and on social via x, facebook, youtube, bluesky, reddit, instagram and linkedin
• Virtual interviews with regional SABR chapters, offering stories specific to the uniform history of their region
• Interview or feature on UniWatch, a leading uniform-centric daily blog that has posted updates on Threads Of Our Game since 2014
• Virtual interviews on popular baseball blogs, with MLB fan clubs, and on baseball or history-themed youtube channels
• Book signing and selling at the SABR 19th-century Conference, held annually
• Book signing and selling at the SABR National Convention, held annually
• Book signing and selling at bookstores and local history museums in the Atlanta-metro area
Interested in publishing OLD BASEBALL THREADS?
Email Craig Brown here, or call or text 678-591-8999. Thank you.
All renderings © Craig Brown. Do not copy, download or use in any form without written permission from Craig Brown.
Cardinals Uniforms & Logos 