Incredible Civil War era tintype photograph (the earliest known) of the founder of basketball, James Naismith. The photo comes in its original "gutta percha" case and was obtained from the Naismith estate. Naismith was born in 1861 and appears to be about 2-3 years old in the photo, placing it sometime around the close of the Civil War. Though he was raised in Canada, Naismith moved to the U.S. and created one of America's most beloved sports at the age of 30, when he was working at the International YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts. From there, Naismith brought the sport to the University of Kansas, where he served as basketball coach and athletic director. Oddly, despite his position at the center of the basketball universe, Naismith is the only coach in Kansas history to have a losing record, though he did coach Phog Allen, whose impact on the sport has also been massive. While Naismith was still alive, he was able to see basketball named an official Olympic event, as well as the creation of the NIT and NCAA Tournaments.