The Baseball Reliquary recently commissioned Hatch Show Print of Nashville, Tennessee to produce two advertising posters on their vintage letterpresses. Each Hatch Show Print poster is a unique creation, individually hand-printed and inked onto paper in a process that dates back several centuries. The process, known as letterpress, involves selecting wood blocks, setting up wooden and/or metal type, and then inking and pressing these elements onto paper to form an image.

In operation since 1879, Hatch Show Print is one of America’s oldest working poster shops. For much of the past century, the firm’s vibrant, colorful posters served as a leading advertising medium for Southern entertainment, ranging from vaudeville and minstrel shows to magicians and opera singers, from carnivals and professional wrestling extravaganzas to commercial products like Airstream Trailers and Graves Whole Hog Sausage. True to their motto, "Advertising without posters is like fishing without worms," Hatch’s posters created the excitement that sold the show, covering the sides of buildings and barns in cities and towns throughout the country.

Hatch also printed posters to promote baseball games by teams of the Negro Leagues, as well as a varierty of barnstorming clubs of the 1920-1955 era, including the Chicago American Giants, New Orleans Eagles, Zulu Cannibal Giants, Evansville Colored Braves, and Baltimore Elite Giants. The two posters produced for the Reliquary reflect this slice of Americana, with text derived from the identical hand-carved wood blocks used on baseball posters of over half a century ago, creating new art that is squarely in the tradition of a bygone era.

(Click to view larger image)		(Click to view larger image)
This poster, advertising the Baseball Reliquary’s traveling exhibitions, is printed in an edition of 100, on cardboard stock measuring approximately 14" x 22," black ink on a yellow flood field. $25.00 postpaid ($15.00 ppd. to members).		This poster, advertising the Baseball Reliquary’s "Shrine to Louis Sockalexis," is printed in an edition of 100, on cardboard stock measuring approximately 14" x 22," black and red ink on white. $25.00 postpaid ($15.00 ppd. to members).

1999 INDUCTION DAY ENVELOPES:

BILL VEECK, JR. ~ $12.50 ($7.50 to Members)

All envelopes produced in a hand-numbered edition of 150, printed in three colors, and hand-canceled in Pasadena, California with the special July 25, 1999 pictorial postmark authorized by the United States Postal Service to commemorate the 1999 Induction Day ceremony of the Shrine of the Eternals.

COMMEMORATIVE POSTMARKS

Shrine of the Eternals 1999 Induction Day Postmark		Shrine of the Eternals 2000 Induction Day Postmark		Shrine of the Eternals 2001 Induction Day Postmark

 

2001 INDUCTION DAY PROGRAM ~ $2.50

The 12-page 2001 Induction Day program features biographic profiles and photographs of 2001 inductees Satchel Paige, Jimmy Piersall, and Jim Bouton. Included on the cover of the program is a postage stamp which is hand-canceled in Pasadena, California with the special July 29, 2001 pictorial postmark authorized by the United States Postal Service to commemorate the 2001 Induction Day ceremony of the Shrine of the Eternals. (Postmark is depicted above.)

The 12-page 2000 Induction Day Program features biographic profiles and photographs of 2000 inductees Moe Berg, Bill Lee, and Pam Postema; and "I Kicked Babe Ruth in the Shin," a true story by Jimmy Zinn, Jr. as told to Tony Salin. Included on the cover of the program is a "Legends of Baseball" postage stamp which is hand-canceled in Pasadena, California with the special July 16, 2000 pictorial postmark authorized by the United States Postal Service to commemorate the 2000 Induction Day ceremony of the Shrine of the Eternals. (Postmark is depicted above.)

The 12-page 1999 Induction Day Program features biographic profiles and photographs of 1999 inductees Dock Ellis, Curt Flood, and Bill Veeck, Jr. Included on the cover of the program is a postage stamp which is hand-canceled in Pasadena, California with the special July 25, 1999 pictorial postmark authorized by the United States Postal Service to commemorate the 1999 Induction Day ceremony of the Shrine of the Eternals. (Postmark is depicted above.)

            The official video of the Shrine of the Eternals 2001 Induction Day is now available for purchase. The VHS tape, recorded digitally and produced through the facilities of the Pasadena Community Access Corporation, is 1 hour 50 minutes long and in color.
            Directed by Nancy Hotaling and produced by Terry and Mary Cannon, the video documents the entire 2001 Induction Day ceremony for the third class of electees to the Shrine of the Eternals, held on July 29, 2001 in Pasadena, California. Among the highlights are the presentation of the first annual Hilda Award (named in memory of Hilda Chester) and a performance of baseball songs by pianist and composer Dave Frishberg, including “Van Lingle Mungo,” “Dodger Blue,” “Matty,” and others. Also featured is the presentation of plaques to 2001 inductees Satchel Paige (accepted by son Warren Paige), Jimmy Piersall (accepted by stepson Robert Jones), and Jim Bouton (accepted in person).

This video documents the 2000 Induction Day ceremony for the second class of electees to the Shrine of the Eternals, held July 16, 2000 in Pasadena, California. A highlight of the festivities is the unveiling and presentation of plaques to 2000 inductees Moe Berg (accepted by Jon Blank, Director, Jewish Baseball Western Wall of Fame), Bill “Spaceman” Lee, and Pam Postema. Running time: 1 hour 45 minutes, in color.

This video documents the 1999 Induction Day ceremony for the historic first class of electees to the Shrine of the Eternals, held July 25, 1999 in Pasadena, California. A highlight of the festivities is the unveiling and presentation of plaques to 1999 inductees Dock Ellis, the late Curt Flood (accepted by Mrs. Judy Pace Flood), and the late Bill Veeck, Jr. (accepted by James D. Loebl on behalf of the Veeck family). Running time: 1 hour 45 minutes, in color.