The Harvard Crimson - June 18, 1903 Newspaper Issue (with team baseball photo - William Clarence Matthews - early Negro baseball history): Team baseball photo including William Clarence Matthews, colored baseball pioneer

This is a rare, original issue of "The Harvard Crimson" newspaper dated June 18, 1903. The front page features a team photo of "The Harvard University Nine" baseball team including WILLIAM CLARENCE MATTHEWS (as a freshman), an early pioneer in African-American baseball history. Matthews was "a Jackie Robinson before his time, a highly educated man and superlative athlete who almost certainly would have been a star - if he had been allowed to play" [Hoover & Eschenbach]. Matthews led Harvard in hitting in 1903, 1904 and 1905, and national newspapers lauded him as the greatest colored player of all time. In the summer of 1905, Matthews was hired as the starting second baseman for the Burlington Baseball Team (Vermont) of the Northern League, earning him the distinction of being the second African-American professional baseball player. The last newspaper page includes write-ups of players on the team (including Matthews), with batting and fielding statistics. The issue also includes a team photo and write-up of "The Yale University Nine." There are numerous illustrated advertisements. Published by Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Condition:
The pages are disbound. The bottom-left corner of page 5 has torn away; there is also a 2" tear at the bottom edge. There are some areas along the bottom of page 6 where the surface layer of paper has peeled away. Clean pages with no writing, stains or foxing. The issue includes 3 sheets/leaves, which include pages 1/2, 3/4 and 5/6.