This is a miraculously intact original Spalding Pittsburgh Pirates sweater dated to the early 1900's that hails directly from the estate of Elmer Steele, who joined Pittsburgh in the season following the club's remarkable 1909 World Series Championship. The precise origination of this sweater (and others like it) will, unfortunately, forever remain a mystery, but it's entirely possible that they were awarded to players in recognition of their 1909 achievement. Sweaters, of course, can be traced to the very first days of baseball, and, in addition to keeping players warm in the cool of early springtime western Pennsylvania mornings (at least in this case), they also no doubt served many significantly symbolic purposes. Speculate a bit further with me, and imagine Steele arriving in Pittsburgh from Boston in early 1910. Was this sweater a gift for the newly arrived pitching talent? Was it a regular equipment issue by the team? Perhaps it was intended specifically for pitchers, somewhat like the modern day warm-up jackets we're so accustomed to seeing slung over a pitcher's shoulder in the dugout? Or, another and perhaps more likely possibility, was it a keepsake presented to Steele upon his leaving the team in 1911? Such questions can never be answered, but they are no doubt a product of the wonder inspired by this tremendous and significant early baseball artifact. Included are full LOAs from both MEARS with Dave Bushing and Troy Kinunen as well as SCD Authentic with Bushing, Dan Knoll, and others. Also included is a notarized letter from Steele's granddaughter, who writes of the sweater's origin and how it hung in her family's closet for so many years, worn only occasionally to rake leaves or to fetch the morning paper. Finally, and most importantly, the paperwork also contains a perfectly precise bit of provenance in the form of a real photographic postcard of the Pittsburgh squad, with Wagner, during the 1910 season. Several of the players are clearly wearing sweaters identical to the offered piece. Interestingly, however, Elmer Steele is not, which does lend a bit of credence to the idea that he received it, perhaps from the very hands of the team's captain and consummate professional, Honus Wagner, upon leaving the club in 1911. Technically rating in the EX/MT range due to some minor pulls and a few small, repaired holes, this exceptionally resilient, navy-trimmed, gray, wool button-down is completely intact with its original "P" as well as the familiar early Spalding tag on the inseam of the tail. An impressively awe-inspiring early baseball artifact from the golden days of the Pittsburgh Pirates offered with impeccable provenance.