Don Wingfield photographic materials

Collection

Identifier: BA PHT 034

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

A collection of black-and-white and color photograph negatives created by photographer, Don Wingfield. The collection consists of negatives of headshots and posed outdoor action scenes of both major and minor league players in the American and National Leagues, as well as Triple-A minor leagues. The materials date from 1950 to 1970.

Dates

1950-1970, undated

Creator

Wingfield, Don (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Materials are open without restrictions but viewing materials does require an appointment. Please contact the Giamatti Research Center, research@baseballhall.org, 607-547-0330.

Conditions Governing Use

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum provides use copies of materials to facilitate private study, scholarship, and research. The Museum welcomes you to use materials in our collections that are in the public domain and to make fair use of copyrighted materials as defined by copyright law and with proper citation. Permission to publish materials must be obtained from: Giamatti Research Center, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, 25 Main St., Cooperstown, NY 13326 Phone: 607.547.0330 E-mail: research@baseballhall.org

Biographical / Historical

Don Wingfield was a photographer in the Washington, D.C. area during the "golden age" of baseball in the 1950s and 1960s. He worked for Sporting News magazine, the Washington Senators baseball team and Topps Company, Inc. Wingfield also freelanced for other major magazine publications including Life and Look. Outside of the baseball sphere, Wingfield remained connected to sports as the on-field photographer for Notre Dame's college football team and photographed multiple presidential first pitches.

Little is known about his personal life but his professionalism with the players he photographed has been noted time and time again. He created his own collectible postcard series from 1955 to 1960 and is credited for the first "action" pictures showing off atheleticism in sports.

Wingfield died in 1997 at the age of 82.

Washington Post. n.d. “LONGTIME ARLINGTON MINISTER CLARENCE A. ROBINSON SR. DIES.” Accessed December 13, 2023. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1997/03/19/longtime-arlington-minister-clarence-a-robinson-sr-dies/9c9d811a-4df8-48e3-9eed-dcd407798284/.

Extent

6.42 Linear Feet (in eleven negative boxes)

2.67 Cubic Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The collection documents the photographs taken by Don Wingfield between 1950 and 1970. Of particular interest is the large number of photographs capturing players from the Washington, D.C. area, including the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Senators (1901-1960). Subjects of particular interest include Baseball Hall of Famers, Rookies of the Year, and minor league players.

Arrangement

This collection's arrangement has not been reviewed by an archivist. The materials are arranged in the order in which they were received from the donor. It appears to be loosely alphabetical.

Physical Location

Dean O. Cochran, Jr. Photograph Archives, Photo Cooler, Aisle 4, Shelves 6-7

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift (BL-1969-02046, BL-1970-00016)

Processing Information

The arrangement of this collection is mostly in alphabetical order and the order prior to 2023 has been maintained. Materials were placed in new acid-free folders and boxes.