Cincinnati is celebrating the sesquicentennial anniversary of the Cincinnati Red Stockings, the first professional baseball team. The Genealogy & Local History Department of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County is celebrating this important milestone by partnering with the Cincinnati Reds Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum presented by Dinsmore to produce an exhibit featuring many items from both organizations’ collections.
These items tell the story of the Cincinnati Reds baseball club from its beginning in 1869 to its present-day team. This exhibit, A Cincinnati Sesquicentennial: Celebrating 150 Years of the Cincinnati Reds, is on display May 3–July 28 in the Joseph S. Stern, Jr., Cincinnati Room on the third floor of the Main Library.
The Cincinnati Room is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday; and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. For more information on the exhibit, or to schedule an interview with the curators, contact the Genealogy & Local History Department at 513-369-6905 or visit cinlib.org/exhibits.
The Library is also giving fans a chance to explore more of the Reds history by hosting a series of lectures focused on different aspects of the team. All of these events take place at 2 p.m. in the Reading Garden Lounge at the Main Library unless otherwise noted.
- Saturday, May 11—Authors Greg Rhodes, John Erardi and Greg Gajus discuss their book Baseball Revolutionaries: How the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings Rocked the Country and Made Baseball Famous.
- Saturday, May 18—Historian Larry Phillips discusses Frederick Waterman, one of the pioneer players of baseball and third baseman for the Red Stockings from 1868-1870. * Takes place at 2 p.m. in the Genealogy & Local History Space on the third floor.
- Saturday, June 8—Historian Greg Rhodes talks about the legendary Reds broadcaster Waite Hoyt.
- Saturday, June 22—Did you know that the Rosie Reds turn 55 this year? Learn more about this philanthropic and social organization from Valerie Guthrie and Dale Silver.
- Saturday, July 6—Author Daryl Smith talks about his book Making the Big Red Machine: Bob Howsam and the Cincinnati Reds of the 1970s. Make it a doubleheader that day and head down to the 4:30 p.m. game against Cleveland afterwards.
- Saturday July 20—Tom Browning “Mr. Perfect” talks about his career and pitching the game that made him famous.
