Collection of six (6) original glass plate negatives dating from the early 1900s, each produced by noted Chicago photographer Francis Burke. All have the player's name either etched or written on the side, and some have additional production codes in the corners. Four (4) have a small white label affixed to a reverse corner. Unless otherwise noted, all measure 7x5" (or 5x7" depending upon the orientation) and display minor flaws, mainly along the periphery. Very Good condition overall. The collection consists of the following: 1) Johnny Kling. Circa 1910 with the Cubs. Catching pose on the sideline. Name etched on each side. A few light scratches affect the central image area. 2) Hank O'Day. Circa 1909. On the field as an umpire with Giants players in the background. 3) Nick Altrock. Circa 1907 with the White Sox. Warming up on the sideline. 4) Germany Schaefer. Circa 1906 with the White Sox. Warming up on the sideline. 5) Charley Hall. Circa 1912 with the Red Sox. Warming up on the sideline. 6) Red Ames. Circa 1910 with the Giants. Warming up on the sidelines.

Francis P. Burke (1871-1949) was a prominent Chicago newspaper photographer whose work ranged far beyond baseball. He took thousands of images of immigrant life in Chicago and, in 1912, opened a photo studio with Henry A. Atwell (1879-1949), known as Burke & Atwell, that specialized in theatrical, magazine, and newspaper images. Sometime prior to 1929, Burke severed his partnership with Atwell and opened another studio known as Burke & Koretke. Burke had been the Cubs official photographer in the early 1900s but was later replaced by George Burke (in a story that has been told many times, and which may be apocryphal, Burke lost his job as Cubs photographer simply because a Cubs employee couldn't remember his first name and mistakenly confused him with George Burke). Nevertheless, he was still a frequent visitor to the ballpark and between the approximate years 1909 to 1916, Burke earned extra income by selling his baseball images to various Chicago-based businesses, including Rueckheim Bros. & Eckstein (Cracker Jack), Max Stein, Novelty Cutlery, Crystal Pure Candy Co., Carl Joseph & Co. (tailors), Royal Tailors, and Irwin Howe's Baseball Correspondence League of America, which published a "Pitching Course." To baseball collectors, Burke’s images are ubiquitous and instantly recognizable. Despite the range and relative scarcity of his work, his baseball images are arguably among the best of the deadball era.