American Sports Publishing Company 1891, 1892 or 1893

[[email protected]]

Does anyone know which year American Sports Publishing Company (New York) started ?

It appears that American Sports Publishing Company (owned by Spalding) took over the printing from A. G. Spalding & Bros. (owned by Spalding) somewhere around 1891, 1892 or 1893 . . .
These were the two publishers used to print the "Spalding Athletic Library" books, books such as the Athletic Almanac, (Official) Handbook of AAU,, (Official) I4A Handbook of Inter-Collegiate Association, Athletic Guide and Hand Book, and others.

Looking for the year when American Sports Publishing Company took over . . . .

[bambam1729]

jeff - I've probably looked at these Guides from the 19th century as much as anyone on this board, but I'm sorry, cannot help you on the answer to this one.

[dj]

I think your best bets are contacting the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, and Library of Congress (https://www.loc.gov/collections/spal...is-collection/).

You might start with the Baseball Hall of Fame, as they've been very good about responding to information requests. Contact their librarian, Jim Gates, but do it soon as he is retiring at the end of October.

The LoC probably has the largest collection from a broad array of sports, and is the other starting point.

[bambam1729]

I think your best bets are contacting the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, and Library of Congress (https://www.loc.gov/collections/spal...is-collection/).

You might start with the Baseball Hall of Fame, as they've been very good about responding to information requests. Contact their librarian, Jim Gates, but do it soon as he is retiring at the end of October.

The LoC probably has the largest collection from a broad array of sports, and is the other starting point.

Jeff - send me an email at [email protected] - I have Jim Gates email and also another guy at the Hall of Fame named Tom Shieber, who also may be able to help you. I've done some work with both of them on baseball at the Olympics. Best part of that was on a visit to Cooperstown about 5 years ago they gave me a private tour of the HoF, getting to see the collections downstairs that are closed to the public and also got a detailed tour of their library. As DJ said, its an incredible library. Good answer by DJ - I suspect they can answer your question

[bambam1729]

Jeff - I just emailed Tom Shieber and Jim Gates to try to get you an answer

[gm]

The first mention of the ASPC in the NY Times was in 1892.
This clip from a Nov. 10, 1892 Kansas paper (The Times of Clay Center) has some details on the company.

Screen Shot 2020-10-12 at 11.30.44 AM.png

[Atticus]

Their "Spalding's Athletic Library Vol.1, N0. 1, as mentioned above, was dated Jan 1, 1892. I bet it's worth a pretty penny. I have some old ones about T&F.

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[wamego relays champ]

The LoC probably has the largest collection from a broad array of sports, and is the other starting point.

In my youth I lived in the Washington DC area, and one of my favorite things to do was to take the metro down to the Capitol and walk into the Library of Congress, one of the most beautiful buildings on the Mall. Although the stacks were closed to readers, I used to just wander into the forbidden area, find the sports section and spend hours looking through historic volumes like the Spalding books.

[gm]

Saw a blurb about James E. Sullivan that said:

"He founded the American Sports Publishing Company in 1892, and has been its president ever since."

http://thehistorybox.com/ny_city/ny_...rticle1586.htm

[bambam1729]

Received this from Jim Gates at the Baseball Hall of Fame:

I checked our copies of Spalding’s Base Ball Guide and the 1894 edition is the first time that it is listed as being published by the American Sports Publishing Company. Prior to that they are listed as being published by A.G. Spalding & Bros.

[bambam1729]

In my youth I lived in the Washington DC area, and one of my favorite things to do was to take the metro down to the Capitol and walk into the Library of Congress, one of the most beautiful buildings on the Mall. Although the stacks were closed to readers, I used to just wander into the forbidden area, find the sports section and spend hours looking through historic volumes like the Spalding books.

Yeah, love it, too. When I was doing much of my early Olympic research in the early 80s I often drove up from Durham, NC to DC on Friday and spent Saturday at the LoC doing the same thing. Not possible anymore as they closed the stacks several years ago.

[bambam1729]

And also received a reply from Tom Shieber at the Baseball Hall of Fame, as follows:

I first see reference to the American Sports Publishing company in contemporary sources in October of 1892, soon after they published their first book, "Life and Battles of James J. Corbett."

Check out this interesting note found in the Clay Center (KS) Times of November 10, 1892 (page 2):

Spalding Guides.png

[gm]

And also received a reply from Tom Shieber at the Baseball Hall of Fame, as follows:

I first see reference to the American Sports Publishing company in contemporary sources in October of 1892, soon after they published their first book, "Life and Battles of James J. Corbett."

Check out this interesting note found in the Clay Center (KS) Times of November 10, 1892 (page 2):

Spalding Guides.png

Ha! I have been plagiarized! 🤣

(Same clip I posted above... great minds think alike, etc.)

[[email protected]]

Awesome ... thank you.

I have also been informed the following:

Sept 1892 American Sports Publishing Co. date of filing - corporate certificate in Jersey City, NJ (PDF: page 313 of 378 link below) for the purpose of "Print, published and sell newspapers, etc."

I believe all the books (over 30 different sports - including Athletics) have New York addresses for American Sports Publishing Co.

https://books.google.com/books?id=s0...ishing&f=false

[bambam1729]

Ha! I have been plagiarized! 🤣
(Same clip I posted above... great minds think alike, etc.)

Sorry, Glen, I didn't see that