The Forest City club of Rockford, Illinois, was one of the very first professional baseball teams, playing in the inaugural season of the National Association in 1871. That season, the club finished in last place, with a 4-21 record despite the presence of their star, Cap Anson.

Between 1868 and 1870, despite being one of the first teams to pay its players, they were considered an amateur team. This exceptional team composite featuring the members of the 1870 club is extremely rare. Of course any baseball cards or photos dating as early as 1870 are of tremendous historical significance, but this particular piece is noteworthy due in part to its rarity and in part to the inclusion of Hall of Famer and baseball pioneer Albert Goodwill Spalding - one of very few known images from his time as a player.  Spalding began playing with the Forest City club at just 15 years old, and remained with the club until he was 20. At that point he joined the Boston Red Stockings, where he remained until 1875, subsequently moving to Chicago and helping to build the White Stockings at the behest of William Hilbert.  There, along with his brother Walter, Spalding began the sporting goods store and manufacturer that still bears his name today.

The card itself bears the images of ten players, including Spalding and team manager Scott Hastings, 19th Century star Ross Barnes, as well as Bob Addy, Al Barker, Fred Cone, Joe Doyle, Tom Foley, Joseph Simmons and Garret Stires.  The image is almost identical to that featured on a CdV sold in our Summer, 2024 auction, but is much larger, trimmed on all four sides to approximately 6 1/2" x 9".  The only difference between the CdV and the cabinet-sized image, besides size, is the image of Spalding, which is different on the two pieces.

While several examples of the aforementioned CdV have surfaced, this is the only known cabinet-sized specimen. The oval-shaped image area is surrounded by a brown border, all of which have been mounted onto the cardboard backing. While the images are clear and strong, visible staining impacts the bottom border area, with ink notations marking the positions of each player and also noting "Rockford ILL" along the bottom edge. Additional writing and staining is visible on the reverse.  An exceptional piece, the only example currently known, featuring one of the game's most important figures in Albert Spalding.