While most baseball card collectors are familiar with the staple cardboard issues produced by companies like Topps, Bowman, and Fleer, a lesser known niche within the hobby involves real photo postcards from the early 1900s depicting baseball players. Known as RPPCs (Real Photo Postcards), these vintage photos offer a fascinating window into the deadball era and before.

RPPC collecting first emerged in the late 19th century as a popular way for people to communicate through the postal system. Companies would take black and white photograph negatives and print them onto postcard stock that could be mailed for a penny. Subjects ranged from scenic landscapes to celebrities to everyday life scenes. Baseball was a rising sport at the time and ballplayers soon found their way onto RPPCs.

Some of the earliest baseball RPPCs date back to the 1890s and feature stars of that era like Cap Anson, Cy Young, and Honus Wagner. The photos capture the players both on and off the field, sometimes posing individually but also in team group shots. Facial hair, uniforms, and equipment styles seen in these vintage images differ greatly from what we’re accustomed to seeing in modern baseball.

Production of baseball RPPCs increased significantly in the first decade of the 20th century as the sport’s popularity continued to grow. More ballclubs commissioned photo shoots to promote their teams and players through postcards. Subjects expanded beyond just the star players to include posed action shots, scenes from games and spring training, and images of ballparks under construction or just recently completed.

Some noteworthy early RPPC publishers producing baseball imagery included Ulkes of New York City as well as Rotograph of Davenport, Iowa and Newman Post Card Company out of Oakland, California. These firms sent photographers on location to snap photos which were developed and printed for distribution. Subjects were often hand-tinted or colorized to add vibrancy compared to a plain black and white photo.

During their peak popularity from around 1905 to 1915, baseball RPPCs could be found in drug stores, tobacco shops, train stations – anywhere postcards were sold. Fans collected them and also mailed them to keep in touch from out of town. Players themselves signed and sent RPPCs to fans as a precursor to modern autograph cards. The photos offer a unique primary source perspective on the game before mass media made baseball a national pastime.

As the 1910s went on, technological innovations like color photography and larger format printed media like magazines diminished the postcard craze. But RPPCs continued to be produced depicting the major leaguers of that era for collectors. Stars of that time like Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, and Babe Ruth appeared. The photos show how uniforms, equipment, and even ballpark landscapes changed as the deadball period gave way to more offense.

By the 1920s, the golden age of RPPC production was ending. But collectors at the time and in future generations still sought out the vintage baseball images. In the post-WWII era, the relatively new hobby of baseball card collecting began booming with modern cardboard issues. But a niche remained for the older RPPCs which offered one-of-a-kind primary sources from the earliest professional baseball history.

Today, dedicated RPPC collectors continue to seek out these early 20th century baseball photos to add to their archives. Shows are held where vintage postcards change hands. Top players, rare teams, nicely tinted examples, and early minor league finds remain some of the most desirable pieces. Online auction sites also allow collectors to browse inventory and bid on new acquisitions. Prices vary greatly depending on condition, player, and visual appeal, but a quality example can sell for hundreds of dollars.

For historians, researchers, and serious baseball memorabilia fans, RPPCs are an unparalleled resource. They capture a snapshot in time from before radio, television, and the internet made the national pastime ubiquitous. Seeing the grainy black and white or hand-tinted photos of ballparks, uniforms, and familiar ballplayer faces from over a century ago gives a real sense of connection to the roots of the game. The collecting of vintage baseball RPPCs continues to this day as enthusiasts seek to preserve these one-of-a-kind primary sources.

While cardboard baseball cards would become the mass-produced memorabilia of choice for most of the 20th century, Real Photo Postcards served an important role in the earliest professional game’s history by promoting teams and players through the postal system. Today their value lies not just as collectibles but historical artifacts providing a unique window into the evolution of America’s pastime before the modern era. RPPCs remain a specialized area of interest for dedicated baseball memorabilia collectors and historians alike.