I thought I had seen most of the Sullivan photos available but then this one popped up, claiming to be John L as a youngster playing basketball. I don't recall ever seeing it tho maybe it is tucked away in Pollack's books or John L Sullivan's America. Any others to add? http://static.newworldencyclopedia.org/2/23/Sullivan-JL-young.jpg
I don't think basketball existed until the 1890's is it possible this is not JLS or are they playing a different game with a similar ball?
Not him. The game of basketball as it is known today was created by Dr. James Naismith in December 1891 in Springfield, Massachusetts, to condition young athletes during cold months. It consisted of peach baskets and a soccer style ball. He published 13 rules for the new game. - Wikipedia
It does say as it is known today, which seems like a pretty major caveat to not elaborate. So maybe he was playing some predecessor It does look like him to me. But I'm not convinced it is, needs some better verification.
You are right but reading the whole story makes it sound like it only existed because of the weather in Canada and the basket idea came from him.....funny I always thought basketball was an American game invention like Baseball the name on the photo does say John L Sullivan but one thing about names in that era was it would not be unusual for people to be named after great Americans like Presidents, military, sports heros, leaders in general I have 2 relatives born during that era one was name George Washington plus the family name and the other named after Abraham Lincoln plus family name
Although it certainly looks like a young Sullivan, I very seriously doubt it's him. The muscular lad in that photo looks to be about sixteen years old, which, if it's Sullivan, would mean that it was taken around 1874. That photo was not taken anywhere near 1874. The shoes and other athletic wear look to me be from a much later time (maybe about 1915-20?) and moreover the two seem to be standing under electric lighting. Though of course the first practical light bulb was perfected in 1876, incandescent lighting remained rare and expensive for quite some time, so electric light in a Boston high school gymnasium or athletic club in ~1876-80 is about as improbable as a VCR in a middle class home in the early 1970's. I suppose it could be arclight or gas lighting, but my gut says no. (And I think arclight was only ever used en masse for street illumination). It also kind of looks like Jim Thorpe, but it's not him either.
