How History Unfolds on Paper: Important Americana from the Eric C. Caren Collection, Part X

Pensacola, Florida: Mayes Printing Co., ca. 1929. Printed broadside; 22 x 11 1/4 in. (559 x 286 mm). Laid down on card; creasing from old folds.

Formed in 1913 by members of the Adventist commune the Israelite House of David, the House of David Baseball Club was a sensational barnstorming baseball team, known for their long unkempt hair and trick plays a la the Harlem Globetrotters.

Headquartered in Benton Harbor, a small town in southwest Michigan, the Israelite House of David was founded in 1903 by the preacher couple Benjamin and Mary Purnell. Members of this communal society renounced personal property and adhered to strict prohibitions against sex, meat, alcohol, drugs, tobacco, and shaving. The group's baseball team emerged from Benjamin's passion for the sport and his belief that physical activity was essential to spiritual discipline. By the 1920s, the team had become a staple of the American barnstorming circuit, competing against both amateur and semi-professional clubs. During the team's lifetime they achieved remarkable success, drawing massive crowds, due not only to their wild looks, but to their adept playing skills and trick maneuvers. Toward the end of the decade, the team began recruiting professional talent, signing legends such as Grover Cleveland Alexander, Chief Bender, and Satchel Paige. They even occasionally featured Babe Ruth, who would humorously don fake facial hair to blend in with the bearded members of the team.

This rare broadside dates to the year following the death of founder Benjamin Purnell, a period marked by the fallout from his scandalous trial and a subsequent schism within the commune. The split resulted in two factions: one loyal to Mary Purnell and the other remaining faithful to the original leadership. This poster features a full team photograph, an image of manager Francis Thorpe at center left, star player J.L. Tally--dubbed "The Babe Ruth of the Colony Team"--at center right, and John Tucker, known as the "Elongated First Baseman," at the bottom.