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Will "Cannonball" Jackman Comes to Life

3/12/2012

11 Comments

 
By Sarah Berlinger   

Being the sports enthusiasts that we are, MTS was delighted to recently receive a collection of baseball memorabilia from the Museum of African American History in Boston. 
Picture
Will "Cannonball" Jackman, pictured wearing a uniform identical to the one MTS is currently working on. Photo courtesy of The Cannonball Foundation website.
The twenty items, including shoes, socks, rosin bags, and a uniform, all belonged to Will "Cannonball” Jackman. A professional pitcher for over 25 years, he has been called “the best baseball player you’ve never heard of.” 
Picture
Uniform jersey before conservation. Photo courtesy of Museum of African American History, Boston and Nantucket, MA, USA.
Throughout Jackman’s career, he played in Texas, Oklahoma, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Massachusetts.  He came to play for the Boston Colored Giants in 1924, and proved his dominance in the Greater Boston Colored League. Jackman played baseball into his sixties; a truly amazing feat. According to Negro League superstar Bill Yancey, later a Yankees scout, Jackman was the greatest all-around ballplayer he ever saw.  
Picture
Initials "W.J." written inside the waistband of the pants. Photo courtesy of Museum of African American History, Boston and Nantucket, MA, USA.
The Jackman collection arrived at MTS for assessment to determine the feasibility of display in the upcoming MAAH exhibit, The Color of Baseball in Boston. The first course of action was to send the items to be treated in the anoxic fumigation chamber at Historic New England. Some items, Such as Cannonball's cap, showed damage from past insect activity.
Picture
Cannonball Jackman's cap prior to conservation. Photo courtesy of Museum of African American History, Boston and Nantucket, MA, USA.
Picture
After fumigation, the collection was surface-cleaned with a HEPA vacuum to remove particulate matter. All but four of the clothing items will be washed  gently to reduce deterioration products without removing signs of past use.  

The shoes have been reinforced for pitching. Photo courtesy of Museum of African American History, Boston and Nantucket, MA, USA. 

Stitched repairs will be kept to a minimum but crucial restorations will be undertaken to camouflage insect damage. A custom-built Ethafoam mannequin will then be constructed  
to allow the uniform to be exhibited. 
Picture
A historic newspaper photo of Jackman, possibly taken in 1971 when he was honored by the city of Boston with "Will Jackman Day."
Jackman chose to make Massachusetts his home because of how well he was treated here, and he stayed in the area until his death in 1972. While playing, he also held a job as chauffeur. He drove during the day, pitched nights and weekends, and then kept his chauffering job after retiring from the sport. 

We’re very excited to have a role in the preservation of artifacts belonging to such an important member of Boston sports history.   

11 Comments
allan nelson
3/30/2012 09:31:50 am

I am an access field producer at bnn and am interested in topic. Avid baseball fan not aware of this history of black players in this area.

Reply
Camille Breeze
3/30/2012 10:09:29 am

Hi Allan,
The Museum of African American History exhibit opening April 26th will be an eye-opener for many of us. Stay tuned to the Boston Globe in the next 10 days for an article by Joel Brown about Museum Textile Services conservation of the Cannonball uniform!

Reply
Mike link
4/12/2012 12:42:14 am

We are reviving the legend and legacy of Cannonball Jackman by assisting baseball and softball scholar-athletes from underserved communities get an opportunity for a college education.

www.ustopcreditcards.com link
9/27/2012 05:33:23 pm

Excellent Blog! I would like to thank for the efforts you have made in writing this post. I am hoping the same best work from you in the future as well. I wanted to thank you for this websites! Thanks for sharing. Great websites!

Reply
www.waterdietplan.com link
10/2/2012 09:17:53 pm

Maybe it's the photo, but he looks adorable here. I'm actually kinda liking the hair, and the smile, most definitely. :)

homesneeds link
10/8/2012 05:26:50 pm

Early in 2012, a curious textile arrived at our new studio.

Reply
Camille Breeze link
4/12/2012 01:05:42 am

Hi Mike,
Thanks for writing. The Cannonball Foundation website has been a great resource for history of photographs of Will Jackman. I would be happy to give a lecture about the conservation of this uniform if it could raise some money for the foundation.

Reply
Gwen Woodward
4/26/2012 06:21:29 am

Hi Allan,

I am the granddaughter of Walter Holmes and neice of Francis Holmes of the W.N Colored Giants not Tigers. The information you received is wrong that picture was taken in 1936 not 1920 my grandfather would have been 8 yrs old please change this

Reply
Camille Breeze link
4/26/2012 10:16:04 am

Hi Gwen,
Your message to Allen Nelson probably won't reach him here on my blog. You should contact him directly to help correct the error. This blog post on Cannonball Jackman is unrelated to your grandfather, Walter Holmes, unless I'm mistaken. Camille

Reply
Kent Jackman link
8/28/2012 11:00:23 am

Can you provide any additional information about Cannonball's family roots prior to playing in Boston? Perhaps our shared last name is a mere coincidence, but since I'm a native Bostonian I'm curious about where his [great] grandparents may have come from. Thanks in advance.

Reply
Camille Breeze link
8/28/2012 11:05:58 am

Hi Kent,
I would contact the Mike from the Cannonball Foundation here in Boston. What I know is just that Will Jackman was raised in Texas and first played ball there. I hope your search proves fruitful.

Camille

Reply



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  • About MTS
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    • Asian Art
    • Ethnographic Textiles
    • Flags & Banners
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    • Quilts and Coverlets
    • Samplers & Embroideries
    • Sports Memorabilia
    • Tapestries
  • Collections Care
    • Vac & Pack
    • Surveys
    • Disaster Response
  • Education
    • LL
    • Porto
    • C3 >
      • C3 readings
    • HPRH
    • Becoming a Textile Conservator
  • Resources
    • MTS Magazine
    • Textile Conservation Basics
    • Textile Stabilization
    • Textile Storage
    • Displaying Historic Costume
    • Displaying Flat Textiles
    • Museum Pests
    • Disaster Response
    • Advanced Topics
    • Class Readings
    • Staff Publications
    • Resources in Spanish
    • MTS Videos and Slide Shows
  • Blog
  • Andover Figures™
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    • The Andover Figures System
    • Choosing a Form
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