Outstanding cabinet photo dating to 1891 when 18-year-old John McGraw played with the Cedar Rapids Canaries an unaffiliated and independent minor league team in the short-lived Illinois-Iowa league. Measuring approximately 4 1/2" x 5 1/2" picturing a rown of teammates in a circular image area in the center. The image does exhibit some fading along with some wear to the mount at the corners edges and surface. The reverse does have some pencil writing "John M. Godar June 20/91". A prior auction listing suggests that the writing was that of Godar who was player/manager of the club and also suggests that Godar is in the foreground of the image though we cannot confirm either. We are confident that McGraw is pictured immediately to the right of the subject of the foreground second in a line of players sitting on the bench in uniform ostensibly on a game or practice day. McGraw wound up with the Baltimore Orioles later that season batting .270 in 33 games as a utilityman. By 1893 he was a star at just 20 years old his playing and managing career extended til 1932 more than 40 years from the season this photo was taken. The photo is accompanied by an 80-page 3 1/2" x 5 3/4" handbook containing the constitution and bylaws of the Illinois-Iowa league. In GOOD condition entirely intact with some creases and overall wear from use and a slightly miscut top edge. Certainly rare and quite likely one-of-a-kind one of the earliest photos of Hall of Famer John McGraw.