Object of the Month: Turn-of-the-Century Baseball Equipment

In honor of the start of the baseball season, take a closer look at the collection of vintage baseball items that the Lott family used at the turn of the 20th century.

Sketch of the Capitoline Grounds in Brooklyn, during a matchup of the Brooklyn Atlantics and the Cincinnati Red Stockings, 1870.

Baseball Score Book, CLD2025.131, Catherine Lott Divis Collection, Hendrick I. Lott House

By the turn of the 20th century, baseball was already an integral part of life in Brooklyn. Although Brooklyn had no official minor league team then, the borough was home to numerous semi-professional clubs, independent teams, and local leagues. The leagues played across Brooklyn, from Prospect Park to the Parade Ground in Flatbush, Greenpoint, and Carroll Gardens. If you browsed the Brooklyn Eagle at the turn of the century, you would find scores from the amateur and local league games. John V. Lott played for the Amersfoort Team during the 1892 season. They played against other locally named teams, like Long Island, Fulton, Jamaica, and New Brunswick. This scorebook shows the Amersfoort playing the Jamaica team on May 28, 1892. 

There are three baseballs in the collection dating from around the turn of the 20th century. By the 1890s, baseballs were usually made with a cork or rubber composition and hand-stitched and leather-wrapped. They weren't as durable as baseballs today; they weren't waterproof and would become soggy, making them impossible to use in the rain.

At first glance, this glove from our collection looks more like a leather pillow than modern baseball gear.

Baseball Mitt, CLD2025.125, Catherine Lott Divis Collection, Hendrick I. Lott House.

This rounded, heavily padded mitt reflects a time when gloves were more about survival behind the plate than making slick, one-handed grabs. With no deep pockets and zero webbing between the fingers, catchers had to rely on quick reflexes to trap or knock down high-speed pitches. The thick, heavy-duty padding was a crucial feature, helping players absorb the shock of fastballs inning after inning. And the one-piece leather palm gave it strength and durability through long, grueling seasons. That reinforced leather also gave the glove its signature "pancake" shape. One of the standout vintage touches is the buckle-back wrist strap. Before Velcro became the norm, players relied on metal buckles to secure their mitts. It's a small but telling detail that speaks to the design and craftsmanship of early 20th-century gear.

Baseball Glove, CLD2025.126, Catherine Lott Divis Collection. Hendrick I. Lott House.

The fielder's glove dates from around the 1920s and features individually stitched and lightly padded fingers, offering players more control and a bit more comfort in the field. While it still lacks the deep pocket we associate with modern gloves, the shape is starting to look familiar. This glove features one unique feature -- the laced connection between the thumb and index finger, which likely allowed players to catch the ball more easily. The wrist strap closes with a metal button, typical of the era before Velcro and adjustable straps changed the game. And while the thumb is straight and the fingers only slightly curved, this glove represents a move toward ergonomics.

Baseball Glove, CLD2025.127, Catherine Lott Divis Collection, Hendrick I. Lott House

This glove was crafted by Spalding, one of the most iconic names in American sporting goods, and is an example of mid-20th-century baseball gear during a time when the game was rapidly modernizing. As the official baseball supplier of the National League for decades, Spalding was one of the most trusted names in baseball, basketball, and football.

This glove features a wrist strap with a snap button, a common design in the 1950s and early '60s. This closure gave players a snug, secure fit without slowing them down between plays. One of the standout features is its single-lace tunnel loop web, a popular innovation of the time. This early web design allowed for a deeper pocket, making catching fly balls or scoop up grounders easier with one hand. Glove designs like this were at the forefront of that evolution as the game moved toward speed and skill.

These objects help trace the evolution of baseball equipment, from the bare-bones protection of the 1890s to the refined, performance-driven designs of the mid-20th century. They reflect how the game evolved over time, adapting to new strategies, player demands, and design innovations. They also connect us to the players—pro and amateur—who broke them in on dusty fields, grassy diamonds, and neighborhood ballparks across Brooklyn and beyond.

By preserving these objects and sharing their history, we celebrate baseball's past and learn more about America's favorite pastime. Whether you're a longtime fan or a curious newcomer, these pieces remind you that even something as simple as a glove can hold decades of history in its hand. ⚾

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