That photo is almost as creepy as those commercials for Assassin's Creed 2.

Stylized team photos were commonplace in the early 20th century, although this is one of the better ones. The Reach Guides from about 1907 to 1914 have many examples, like the manager for the Little Rock Travelers carrying a giant suitcase with the players all attached to the outside. These guides also have many hundreds of other team pictures per year, ranging from minor leagues to industrial leagues to black and Indian teams, and even to an insane asylum team. One of these years someone with a lot of patience is going to put those photos online, but since there are many thousands of them it ain't gonna be easy.

I wonder how long it took them to create that image using Photoshop.

Are we supposed to try to name them?

Muggsy and Hans are pretty easy to spot, though I have no idea how the hell Pete Townshend could have been on the team almost 40 years before he was born.

I'm with #1 on this one. Yikes.

Is the 'h' optional?

Is the 'h' optional?

At the time, it was. You can also see the spelling on the T206 Wagner.

Etymology of Pittsburgh

In 1891 the United States Board on Geographic Names adopted thirteen general principles to be used in standardizing place names, one of which was that place names ending in -burgh should drop the final -h. The Board published a report of place name "decisions", also in 1891, in which the city's name was rendered Pittsburg.[3] The Board's decisions had limited but effective power; they were compulsory upon all federal government agencies, including the Post Office. The new official spelling was resisted by many people in the city. The Pittsburgh Gazette refused to adopt the Board's decision, as did the Pittsburgh Stock Exchange and the University of Pittsburgh.[3] Official city documents continued to use the old spelling.[1] Responding to mounting pressure and, in the end, political pressure from senator George T. Oliver,[3] the United States Geographic Board (a successor to the original United States Board on Geographic Names) reversed the decision on July 19, 1911, and the Pittsburgh spelling was restored.[1]

The confusion and controversy surrounding the aborted spelling change means that both the Pittsburgh and the Pittsburg spelling were commonly encountered around the turn of the 20th century, and continued uses of Pittsburg still occur to this day.

Is the 'h' optional?

Pretty much. Same with towns like "Hillsboro" or "Hillsborough," or countries like "Burmah" and "Corea," and religions like "Hindooism." Hell, it wasn't until 1884 that each town didn't have its own time zone.

EDIT: a whole case of Coke to gamingboy.

an insane asylum team

Just out of curiosity, I wonder if any the roster included any of Darren Daulton's forebears.

Option "h"?

That photo is almost as creepy as those commercials for Assassin's Creed 2.

For anyone interested, the choir music that starts that commercial (and eventually cuts out for something more modern) is the beginning of Gregorio Allegri's Miserere mei, Deus. Yes, it's nine minutes, but all I ask is that you listen up to 2:10.

an insane asylum team

Just out of curiosity, I wonder if any the roster included any of Darren Daulton's forebears.

Well, see for yourself. And looking at some of the names on the picture, it wouldn't surprise me. That manager Bryan looks a bit like Frank Lane, and to me that's a hint right there.

Man, they had good nicknames back then.
How do you drop "Czolgosz" on someone? And it sticks to the point that they put it down as your name under your picture in the team photo?
That's like dropping "Ted Bundy" on someone in 1985...harsh.
Is there any chance that the only reason he was in the insane asylum was because of his nickname?
"Hey, Czolgosz"
"STOP #&%*ING CALLING ME THAT!"

For anyone interested, the choir music that starts that commercial (and eventually cuts out for something more modern) is the beginning of Gregorio Allegri's Miserere mei, Deus. Yes, it's nine minutes, but all I ask is that you listen up to 2:10.

This was actually the creepy commercial that I was talking about, Lassus:

Assassin's Creed 2

With that said, Miserere mei, Deus is pretty damn good.

(I guess instead of Ted Bundy, I should have said it's like calling someone "Hey, Lee Harvey Oswald!" in 1972.)

How do you drop "Czolgosz" on someone?

Well, first you call on Bob Sheppard to tell the warden how to pronounce it.

So the Eastern Hospital was in a West Coast state? That's insane.

What's even more insane is that there can be an Eastern part of a Western state. Backwards reels the mind as I try to digest that.

Where's Werr?